PESHAWAR
Jhpiego, a global health non-profit organization that revolutionizes healthcare for women and families, organized a dedicated technical session on cervical cancer prevention and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) during a symposium of Obstetrician-Gynaecologist (OBGYN) at Khyber Medical College Peshawar.
The session was arranged under Jhpiego’s strategic activity “Engaging in Public Health Events to Advocate for HPV Vaccination and Disseminate Key Insights”.
The activity aligned with the Expanded Program on Immunization-Health Department KP priorities to strengthen awareness, acceptance, and preparedness for the HPV vaccine introduction.
It also aimed at engaging clinicians, academicians and students as trusted voices for vaccine promotion, disseminate evidence-based insights on HPV, cervical cancer burden and prevention strategies besides strengthening coordination between EPI, clinicians, and partners for the upcoming KP HPV campaign.
Kamran Khan from Jhpiego and Dr. Ayaz Khan EPI shared detailed insights on EPI preparedness, SBCC strategies and stakeholder coordination, emphasizing the role of clinicians in building trust and improving vaccine acceptance.
The OBGYN symposium at Khyber Medical College CON 2026 was attended by national and international experts to discuss cervical cancer prevention and HPV vaccination.
Discussions highlighted the global burden of cervical cancer and emphasized that it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination, screening, and early treatment.
Pakistan’s context and the introduction of HPV vaccine through EPI in 2025 were acknowledged.
The upcoming KP HPV campaign (2–14 November 2026) targeting 2.6 million girls through single-dose vaccination was presented as a critical opportunity.
Dr. Sarah from KMC apprised participants of the symposium that cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cause and cancer related deaths in women globally.
In Pakistan, she continued, every year an estimated 5008 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3197 die from it.
The HPV vaccine has been introduced in over 160 countries including multiple Muslim nations, demonstrating its safety, effectiveness and global acceptance.
EPI Pakistan has introduced HPV vaccine in national immunization programme in September 2025 initially in Islamabad, Punjab, Sind and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
While in November 2026 the second phase of HPV vaccination will be launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting around 2.6 million girls.
The participants appreciated the session and committed to supporting HPV vaccination awareness in the country.
