At least 2,410,924 girls aged between 9 and 14 years across Sindh have been vaccinated against cervical cancer through the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, which has now been extended by three additional days until October 1.
The drive, which initially ran from September 15 to 27, was prolonged to allow for “catch-up” days from September 29 to October 1, targeting girls who had missed vaccination during the scheduled period.
According to the Directorate of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the extension is focused on union councils (UCs) where coverage has remained lower than expected.
District health officers (DHOs) were instructed to continue vaccination activities, particularly in schools where coverage is below 80 percent or where teams had not yet visited.
The EPI also directed all field staff and supervisors to take part in the catch-up campaign, clarifying that no extra budget would be provided for the extended days.
By the end of the originally scheduled campaign on September 27, data showed that 223,636 girls were vaccinated against HPV on the final day alone. This represented 73 percent of the daily target, pushing the overall coverage of the campaign to 66 percent of the provincial target.
The large-scale vaccination initiative, implemented across all districts of Sindh under the supervision of the EPI Directorate, is aimed at safeguarding adolescent girls from HPV, which is a major cause of cervical cancer globally.
Health officials emphasized that protecting young girls through timely vaccination is a critical step in reducing the risk of cervical cancer in the long run.
The campaign is seen as a vital preventive measure, providing protection to millions of girls and laying the groundwork for stronger health security for women in the province.
