When little Sana, a shy 12-year-old from Karachi, walked into her school’s assembly hall last week, she thought it was just another health drive.
But when she returned home later that day, proudly showing her vaccination card to her mother, she had unknowingly taken a step that could one day save her life.
Sana was among the first girls in Pakistan to receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protection against cervical cancer, one of the deadliest yet most preventable diseases in women.
For Sana’s mother, Rabia, the vaccine carries a deep personal meaning. “My elder sister died of cervical cancer at just 40. We watched her suffer for months, not knowing what to do.
If this vaccine had been available then, maybe she would still be with us,” Rabia said, her voice trembling. “Now, at least, my daughter has a chance at a healthier future.”
This “chance” is something millions of girls around the world have already received. More than 125 countries have introduced the HPV vaccine, and the results are nothing short of inspiring.
In Australia, the vaccine has slashed HPV infections by more than 90 per cent, and experts say the country is on track to virtually eliminate cervical cancer within a decade.
In Rwanda, where nearly every girl is vaccinated, cancer prevention has become a proud public health success story.
HPV is a common virus that can cause cervical cancer, and vaccinating girls before they are exposed provides almost complete protection. For Pakistani women, this could mean a drastic reduction in a disease that claims nearly 5,000 lives here every year.
In many homes across Pakistan, conversations about women’s health remain hushed. Stigma, lack of awareness, and limited access to screening mean most cervical cancer cases are discovered late, when little can be done. The HPV vaccine, given to young girls through schools and community programs, changes that.
Dr Farah Naz, a gynaecologist in Islamabad, calls it “the biggest breakthrough in women’s health we’ve seen in decades.” She explains: “We used to wait until women fell ill. Now, we can stop the disease from developing at all. This is prevention at its most powerful.”
For mothers like Amina in Lahore, the decision to vaccinate her 11-year-old daughter was simple.
“I lost my cousin to cervical cancer. I’ve seen what it does to a family. When I learned that this vaccine could protect my daughter, I didn’t hesitate. I want her to grow up without this fear hanging over her.”
Her daughter, giggling with friends after the vaccination, didn’t feel the weight of that decision.
For her, it was just a small injection. But for her mother, and for Pakistan, it symbolised a giant leap toward a future where women are not robbed of their lives in the prime of their youth.
As Pakistan embarks on this ambitious campaign, every girl vaccinated is more than just a number.
She is someone’s daughter, sister, or future mother. Behind every injection lies a story of hope, a mother’s relief, and a nation’s determination to protect its women.
The HPV vaccine may be small in size, but its impact could be monumental, rewriting the story of women’s health in Pakistan, one shot at a time.
(Opinion) Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2025.
