Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal met with a Gavi delegation to review Pakistan’s ongoing HPV vaccination campaign aimed at preventing cervical cancer. The meeting focused on strengthening the campaign, reducing the national burden of cervical cancer, expanding public awareness through education and helpline channels, and securing Gavi support for local vaccine production and introduction of a hexavalent vaccine.
During the discussions, both sides emphasized the importance of making the HPV vaccination drive successful to protect women and girls across the country. Officials outlined steps to increase vaccine uptake and integrate the campaign into broader public health planning to ensure long-term impact on cervical cancer rates.
Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal praised Gavi’s partnership and stressed that Pakistan would draw on international best practices and lessons learned to optimize the campaign. He underscored the government’s commitment to applying global experience in a way that suits local needs and health system capacities.
To boost public awareness and reach, the ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to engage schools and communities, and is using the 1166 helpline along with other communication channels to provide information and address concerns about HPV vaccination. These measures aim to improve access and build public confidence in the immunization program.
Gavi assured continued support, including technical assistance for developing local vaccine manufacturing capacity and facilitating the introduction of a hexavalent vaccine into the country’s immunization schedule. The delegation emphasized readiness to help Pakistan strengthen supply chains and regulatory pathways needed for these initiatives.
Both the federal health ministry and Gavi committed to ongoing coordination to implement the agreed measures and monitor progress, with the shared goal of reducing cervical cancer and improving public health outcomes nationwide.
