A two day Training of Trainers (ToT) session was held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prepare health teams for the upcoming Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rollout, which is scheduled for November 2026. The program aims to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
The training focused on improving communication skills and community engagement methods, participants were taught how to address vaccine hesitancy, respond to misinformation, and build public trust in the HPV vaccine through clear and evidence based messages.
The session was organized by the Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Mannion Daniels. According to program Manager Dr. Abdul Basit, the hands on sessions were designed to strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers and communicators.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is preparing for the HPV vaccination campaign, and MERF is taking a leading role in building community awareness and demand for the vaccine. He added that cooperation with the provincial health department and partner organizations is key to the success of the program.
Dr. Basit said that trust and awareness at the community level are essential for any vaccination campaign to succeed. He stressed that no girl should remain unprotected from cervical cancer, and this goal depends on trained health workers and informed communities working together.
The training also included Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) sessions. Participants learned how to adjust health messages according to local culture and community concerns to improve acceptance of the vaccine. Special focus was also given to media engagement. Participants were trained to use radio, social media, and local platforms to spread accurate information about HPV vaccination.
In addition, group exercises were held to help participants identify and counter misinformation about the HPV vaccine. This helped them learn how to handle myths and misconceptions more effectively in the field. Pakistan launched its HPV vaccination program in September 2025. In the first phase, around 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 were vaccinated in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The second phase is planned for November 2026 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where about 3.2 million eligible girls will be targeted. The third phase will expand the program in 2027 to Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, reaching around 1.4 million more girls.
Dr. Basit said MERF had already successfully implemented HPV vaccination in seven districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 2025. He added that this experience is guiding the approach in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with stronger focus on community engagement and full vaccine coverage.
