LAHORE: Punjab has rolled out an ambitious campaign to vaccinate girls aged 9 to 14 against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), but health officials admit that reaching over 2.5 million out-of-school girls remains one of the toughest challenges yet. The province’s latest initiative, which runs from September 15 to 27, is being hailed as a breakthrough in women’s health, yet its scale and obstacles have stirred concerns.
The target group includes 8 million girls across Punjab, with around 5.5 million enrolled in schools where vaccinations can be administered relatively easily. The real hurdle lies in accessing those outside the school system—girls living in remote areas, flood-hit zones, migrant communities, nomadic populations and even high-risk urban pockets such as red-light districts.
To confront this, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has mobilised 6,277 outreach teams and more than 13,000 social mobilisers, with vaccination kit stations set up in local community houses, hujras and lady health worker residences. Mobile units are being dispatched to prisons, orphanages, transport hubs and informal settlements, ensuring that even the most underserved groups are not left out. Civil society groups have also been roped in to spread awareness and build trust within families.
However, officials warn that the task goes far beyond logistics. Myths, social stigma, and fear around injections present major barriers. Explaining HPV and its link to cervical cancer in conservative or low-literacy settings requires delicate community engagement. The recent floods have further complicated matters by displacing thousands of families, damaging infrastructure, and straining already thin health resources.
Cervical cancer remains a serious threat in Pakistan, ranking as the third most common cancer in women overall, and the second most common among those aged 15-44. Experts stress that the HPV vaccine is a proven shield against this deadly disease, and making it available free of cost—after years of being limited to private hospitals—is a critical step forward.
As Punjab embarks on this unprecedented vaccination drive, the question remains: will the state’s extensive efforts be enough to reach every vulnerable girl, especially those outside the safety net of schools?
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.