Flood-Hit Girls at Risk as HPV Vaccination Campaign Begins

Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Pakistan is facing tough challenges as it rolls out HPV vaccination for girls aged 9 to 14 years, particularly in communities worst hit by recent floods.

The two-week campaign, beginning September 15, aims to immunise 8 million girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. While 5.5 million girls in schools can be reached through structured channels, around 2.5 million out-of-school girls remain vulnerable.

Flood damage to schools, coupled with the scattered presence of nomadic and migrant communities, has made access harder. In response, EPI has formed mobile and outreach teams to work in informal settlements, red-light areas, markets, and transport hubs. Civil society organisations are also being engaged to support the effort.

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Dr Samra Khurram, Director of EPI Punjab, said 6,277 outreach teams and 13,000 social mobilisers are being deployed. “We know this is not like our routine campaigns. The challenge is new, but we are adapting,” she said.

The HPV vaccine is crucial in preventing cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women aged 15 to 44 years in Pakistan. WHO has set a global target for 90 percent of girls to be vaccinated against HPV by age 15 by 2030.

For the first time, the vaccine will be available free of charge in Punjab, making protection accessible to millions of families.