BY and large, it is the low-income countries that face the greatest burden of disease.
Several factors contribute to this sobering reality including poor access to healthcare and inadequate resources. Which is why regular vaccine campaigns, undertaken to prevent the onset of many of the illnesses seen mostly in developing nations, are absolutely crucial in a country like ours. In this context, the planned addition of a new vaccine to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation is a welcome development.
The campaign for the phased rollout of the human papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is set to begin on Sept 15. In Sindh, the aim is to immunise 4.1m girls from nine to 14 years against the virus — although once incorporated fully in the EPI, the focus will shift to nine-year-olds and hopefully become part of a school-outreach programme. The campaign will be rolled out in Punjab, ICT and AJK at the same time; in KP in 2026; and in Balochistan and GB in 2027.
Without regular screening, cervical cancer can go undetected in females, especially as symptoms may be absent in the early stages. And in a country like Pakistan, where routine pelvic examinations are not actively recommended, negligence can cost lives.
Around 5,000 women in the country are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year; 60pc of them succumb to the disease. And these are only the numbers recorded. It is safe to assume that the actual number of cases for this cancer — the second most common one among women of child-bearing age — is far higher.
By including the vaccine in the EPI, then, it is hoped that awareness levels are heightened — perhaps, the mothers of the young girls that the HPV vaccine will target under the EPI will learn enough about the risks of cervical cancer to take precautionary steps themselves through inoculation or regular screening. It appears to be a goal worth pursuing.
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2025
