Karachi inches up in HPV drive, still trails Sindh


Sindh’s HPV drive at 48%, but Karachi lag and refusals hinder overall gains

By Mukhtar Alam

KARACHI: Karachi — often described as the city of enlightened people — has consistently struggled at the bottom of HPV vaccination coverage lists. However, it recorded a slight improvement, with rates rising by three percentage points on the 10th day of the ongoing national campaign to vaccinate adolescent girls against cervical cancer, it emerged on September 26.

According to data released by the Sindh Directorate of Immunisation, combined coverage across Karachi’s districts reached 36% on September 25, compared to 33% on September 23. While Sukkur and Shaheed Benazirabad also showed improvement on September 24, they failed, unlike Karachi, to sustain the upward momentum the following day.

A comparative analysis showed Sindh maintaining an edge over Punjab, Kashmir, and Islamabad, reporting 58% daily coverage on September 24–25 and 57% on September 23, the eighth day of the campaign. The HPV drive, scheduled to conclude on September 27, is being monitored closely by federal and provincial health authorities.

A senior official described Karachi’s modest progress as “encouraging” and expressed hope that coverage rates in both the city and Sindh overall would improve further if the vaccination timeline was extended and activities were realigned.

As of September 25, the campaign’s 10th day, Sindh’s overall vaccination rate stood at 48% of the total target, while its cumulative daily coverage held steady at 58%.

The official campaign report noted:

“Coverage trends show improvement in Karachi division, while declines were reported in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, SBA, and Sukkur divisions. Outreach monitoring highlights that only 7% of previously missed girls have been reached. RCA findings confirm refusal as a major barrier, with parental concerns and lack of awareness as primary reasons. Immediate corrective actions are needed to enhance coverage, address refusals, and strengthen monitoring mechanisms.”

Declines were reported in five districts of Hyderabad/Mirpurkhas and four districts in Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sukkur divisions. The report urged authorities to confront parental misconceptions, lack of sensitisation, and community resistance. “Multiple refusal schools remain uncovered; coordinated efforts by DCs, DEOs, DEOCs, and CSOs are required,” it stressed.

Poor-performing districts (below 75% coverage) included Keamari (14%), East (29%), Central (32%), South (31%), Malir (37%), Korangi (39%), Jacobabad (43%), Tando Allahyar (48%), Hyderabad (51%), Mirpurkhas (54%), Shikarpur (56%), SBA (61%), Jamshoro (63%), West (67%), Matiari (68%), Thatta (69%), Khairpur (71%), Umerkot (71%), Dadu (71%), Larkana (72%), and Tando Mohammad Khan (74%).

Low-performing districts (75–84% coverage) were Kashmore (78%), Tharparkar (79%), and Badin (84%), the report concluded.

Photos: Official source

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

University of Karachi syndicate meeting mired in controversy

Image
IV Report KARACHI: The sixth meeting of the University of Karachi's syndicate for 2024, held on October 31, was marked by intense debate on several issues, including the promotion of 54 university officers to higher grades. A senior faculty member, Dr Riaz Ahmed, a syndicate member, expressed concerns that the university administration applies different criteria for promoting teaching and non-teaching staff. Despite the syndicate approving promotions for over 50 officers in grades 18 to 20, Dr Ahmed pointed out to the chair of the meeting, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid M Iraqi, that the departmental promotion committee violated the syndicate's set policy by not including a syndicate member in the promotion committee, as decided in 2018. He also highlighted that eight candidates received higher grades under the Incentive Scheme, despite already availing of the benefit twice, which undermines the rules. Other contentious issues included disagreements over the minutes of ...
Read more

Pakistan's healthcare system reaches breaking point, PMA warns

Image
Pakistan's premier medical body fears devastating consequences of neglecting public health, calls for immediate action IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) launched its annual report, "Health of the Nation," at a press conference on February 26. The report reiterates that the overall disease-prevention style and patient-care system have not been yielding positive results for long. If stronger, foolproof rectifying measures are not taken immediately, it may lead to devastating consequences and further embarrassing Pakistan's position among the comity of nations. The PMA 2025 report presents a stark picture of a system in dire need of reform. It emphasizes the need for immediate and decisive action from federal and provincial governments to address pressing health challenges. The report calls for stronger healthcare policies, improved access to medical resources, and a healthier, socio-economically excelling Pakistan for all. The PMA's c...
Read more

Indus Hospital to support diabetes care expansion plan across Pakistan

Image
In collaboration with Health Promotion Foundation, IHHN to help establish 3,000 free clinics for underserved communities IV Report KARACHI: The Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) has partnered with the Health Promotion Foundation (HPF) to establish 3,000 dedicated diabetes care units across Pakistan, with a special focus on providing free consultations and high-quality care to vulnerable populations. The announcement was made during a diabetes awareness session organised for media professionals at the IHHN facility in Korangi on July 15. The session, attended by IHHN President Dr Abdul Bari Khan and other senior executives, marked the first in a planned quarterly series titled “Dialogue with Media” under the broader “With HealthWise” initiative. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Bari said the initiative aims to empower journalists with accurate and evidence-based information to influence public attitudes and behaviors regarding diabetes. “With the HealthWise series...
Read more