Did you know, in Pakistan, more than 5000 new cervical cancer cases are reported annually, with over 3000 deaths, despite being largely preventable due to a lack of awareness and late diagnosis?
The most recent wave of the HPV vaccination campaign launched in Pakistan aligns with SGD3, which seeks to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and ensure universal health coverage.
This vaccination campaign fits directly with this goal. Cervical cancer is one of the most common and a frequent cancer among women, but it is most preventable.
Pakistani women are hugely suffering from this disease due to a lack of facilities, awareness, and lack of screening. The Pakistani government, along with the support of Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, has launched this campaign, which is to be run in two phases, starting from schools and expanding to communities to provide facilitation to every girl to ensure a better and healthier future for them.
This vaccine comprises a single dose to overcome the impacts of Human Papillomavirus(HPV), which causes cervical cancer. Nearly 150 countries have already been following this pattern to overcome this fatal disease.
As usual, many misperceptions have been associated with this vaccine in our community. On one side, social media and other media outlets are being used to raise awareness about this vaccine; some are using them to negate the positive narrative, claiming that this vaccine is fatal for girls and their reproductive health.
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This is creating misconceptions, and parents are afraid of its impact on their daughters. In order to overcome this propaganda, the health minister, along with other high officials, is allowing their daughters foremost and publicly to use this vaccine to get immune to this disease.
The government had also started a crackdown on this online propaganda. This new step aims aiming work for health betterment in girls, especially. Polio’s existence in Pakistan is one of the examples that represent how fake propaganda aims to counter health-related strategies, besides being available at no cost.
This new vaccination campaign is just a start, as alongside this step, the government has planned to integrate the HPV vaccine into Pakistan’s regular immunization system, making it a compulsory part of immunization.
It is going to be one of the curtail steps, as a single campaign or one-time drives, no matter how large and focused, cannot guarantee long-term success and elimination of this mortal disease. To truly escape this virus and protect the future generations, the HPV vaccine must be integrated as a permanent necessity in Pakistan’s health system, as with polio vaccination.
The countries that had already adopted HPV vaccination have reported a sharp decline in cervical cancer cases according to WHO reports , revealing the direct connection between the vaccination and reduction in mortality rate.
Merely vaccination cannot result in the elimination of cervical cancer; it requires more precise and accurate steps, such as screening and treatment, along with vaccination. The HPV vaccine can prevent future cases of cervical cancer in girls, but millions of adult women in Pakistan lack basic screening facilities, due to which they are still at risk.
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Adult women in urban areas may have access to screening for the virus, but the population in rural areas is underprivileged and vulnerable to this life-risking disease. In order to achieve SGD 3, there should be a firm focus on the screening services s that instant treatment can commence, if any case exists.
Inclusivity and equity are two other most important dimensions that are really important when it comes to combating the rising mortality rates in Pakistan due to cervical cancer. Nearly 2.5 million girls are out of school, who are at risk of being targets of this disease. Reaching out to these girls is a giant challenge.
Although the governmental authorities had promised to extend this campaign beyond schools to communities but this needs proper planning and its execution; otherwise, many adult women will be left behind and face the harsh impacts of this life-threatening disease.
This will ultimately undermine the basic motto of SDG3, which emphasizes “health for all at all ages”. Ensuring the extension of this campaign to the grassroots levels, including every population, will be fruitful.
The women are part of society, and their health is related to societal progress. A nation consisting of nearly 50 percent women needs to focus on women’s health, as they are a huge chunk of the population and are contributing to the economy as well as the well-being of the nation.
Being healthy means being an active member of communities, families, and the workplace. Thus, preventing cervical cancer means saving sisters, mothers, and daughters who can put their part to the social fabric of Pakistan.
For this, the government must have to raise awareness, make precise planning, and ensure its execution. This step shows Pakistan’s willingness to align with its national health goals with the global SDGs. Thus, this new step is a ray of hope that women’s health will be prioritized too, and its success depends on the governmental efforts, international partners’ support, and cohesion among the communities to overcome the obstacles.
Noor Zehra
Noor Zehra is a student of International Relations. She is keen to make positive impact through research, writing, and volunteer work. She can be reached at noorzara357@gmail.com
