Cervical Cancer and the HPV Vaccine in Pakistan

Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers we know how to prevent. Nearly every case starts with a common virus, and there is a safe vaccine against that virus. Pakistan added it to the national immunisation programme in 2025.

What causes cervical cancer?

WHO says almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is very common and usually clears on its own. In some women the infection stays, and over many years it can turn cells in the cervix into cancer. Two types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, cause most cervical cancers.

WHO counted around 604,000 new cases and around 280,000 deaths worldwide in 2024. In Pakistan, UNICEF reports that eight women die of cervical cancer every day.

Who should get the HPV vaccine?

WHO recommends vaccinating girls aged 9 to 14, before they become sexually active, because the vaccine works best when it is given before any exposure to the virus. One or two doses are given depending on the national schedule. Girls and women with weakened immune systems may need two or three doses.

What is Pakistan doing?

Pakistan ran its first HPV vaccination campaign from 15 to 27 September 2025, joining about 150 countries that already use the vaccine. From UNICEF and Pakistan's Federal Directorate of Immunization:

• It was aimed at girls aged 9 to 14, about 13 million girls in the first phase.
• The first phase covered Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad Capital Territory.
• Doses were given in schools, madrassas and health facilities, with outreach sites and mobile teams for distant and underserved areas.
• The vaccine is free for every eligible girl.
• It is being added to routine immunisation for 9-year-old girls in the years that follow.

If your daughter is in this age group and has not been vaccinated, ask at your nearest EPI centre or government health facility.

Is the vaccine safe?

The NHS lists the usual side effects as pain or swelling where the injection was given, headache, a high temperature, dizziness, feeling sick and tiredness. Serious allergic reactions are very rare. The NHS also notes that the HPV vaccine protects against more than cervical cancer: it helps prevent some mouth, anal, vulval, vaginal and penile cancers, and genital warts, which is why several countries offer it to boys as well.

Does the vaccine mean screening is no longer needed?

No. The NHS says vaccinated people should still attend cervical screening, because a small chance of cervical cancer remains. WHO recommends screening women in the general population every 5 to 10 years from age 30, and women living with HIV every 3 to 5 years from age 25. WHO's global goal for 2030 is that 90% of girls are fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women are screened by the ages of 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or cancer receive treatment.

When to see a doctor

Early cervical cancer often causes no symptoms at all, which is exactly why screening matters. WHO lists these symptoms, which should be checked by a doctor without delay:

• Bleeding between periods, after sex, or any bleeding after menopause
• Vaginal discharge that is heavier than usual or smells bad
• Pelvic pain, back pain or leg pain that will not go away
• Unexplained weight loss, tiredness or loss of appetite
• Swelling in one or both legs

These symptoms have many causes, and most of them are not cancer. They still need checking rather than waiting out. If you have heavy vaginal bleeding that does not stop, call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.