Karachi: The HPV vaccination campaign for girls across Sindh, including Karachi, will be launched from September. 4.1 million girls between the ages of 9 and 14 will be vaccinated.

According to Express News, District Health Officer Dr. Shah Muhammad Sheikh has said that a Human Papilloma Virus vaccination campaign will be launched from next month for girls between the ages of 9 and 14 across Sindh, including Karachi, to prevent cervical cancer in the future. The provincial health department has started preparations for this campaign.

He said that during this campaign, 4.1 million girls between the ages of 9 and 14 across Sindh, including Karachi, will be vaccinated. Training of lady health workers has been started in this regard. Before the campaign, lady health workers will go to homes and inform parents about this vaccine.

EPI Project Director Dr. Raj Kumar told The Express Tribune that to make this campaign successful, instructions have been issued to the District Health Officers of all districts of interior Sindh, including Karachi, to make the campaign successful in their respective districts. District Health Officer of Korangi District Dr. Shah Muhammad Sheikh said that micro-planning has been completed to vaccinate more than 233,000 girls aged 9 to 14 years with HPV.

In this regard, training is also being given to lady health workers to inject girls safely. The population of Korangi district is more than 3.2 million. Korangi District Health has 19 centers, while the dispensaries operating in the evening hours are also fully functional.

He further explained about the virus that Human Papillomavirus is a virus that causes gynecological diseases in most girls. Sometimes this virus can cause cancer. There are no obvious symptoms of HPV virus, parents are also unaware of this virus.

Explaining the symptoms of this virus, he said that small pimples or bumps on the skin of girls and pain and itching in them are the main symptoms, however, the HPV vaccine protects girls from this virus.