MERF and Partners Successfully Implement HPV Vaccine Campaign Across Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF), with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and in collaboration with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and global health partners, is successfully implementing the HPV Vaccine Introduction Campaign across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The campaign aims to protect thousands of girls across target districts of AJK from cervical cancer, marking a significant milestone in the region’s ongoing efforts to combat the disease. A series of awareness and community engagement activities—including orientation sessions, awareness walks, religious sermons, advocacy meetings, and clinical seminars—are being carried out to enhance understanding of the HPV vaccine’s importance among communities.

Cervical cancer, primarily caused by persistent HPV infection, remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally. In Pakistan, limited awareness and screening contribute to a growing number of cases each year. The introduction and ongoing implementation of the HPV vaccine, supported by Gavi, represents a major step toward safeguarding the health of adolescent girls aged 9–14 years—both in-school and out-of-school—and reducing the long-term burden of cervical cancer.