Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Over 85% of these deaths occur in developing regions, many low-income countries are lagging in eliminating the set target by WHO. Incidence rates for cervical cancer in Pakistan were higher than the WHO target, it targets the elimination of less than 4 per 100,000 females. Aga Khan University's (AKU) CITRIC Health Data Science Centre and Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health hosted public and private sector experts in Islamabad for a seminar on cervical cancer in Pakistan on March 9th, 2022, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, attended the event's chief guest along with different healthcare system representatives from Gavi and JHPiego. The event highlighted variation in the reported estimates of cervical cancer across Pakistan. Karachi Cancer Registry reported the highest incident rate over time, showing estimates well above the WHO 2030 target for cervical cancer elimination. Seminar participants also included Dr. Mark Jit and Dr. Kiesha Prem who are experts working on HPV vaccines from the London School of Hygiene shared their insights in the discussion on the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination. Dr. Peter Dull, Deputy Director, Vaccine Development and Surveillance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, explained the cervical cancer vaccine landscape & shared early data on single-dose vaccination. Experts from AKU, Dr. Sajid Bashir Soofi, Professor at the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Associate Director at Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Dr. Zainab Samad, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Director of CITRIC Health Data Science Centre, shared their viewpoint along with Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Distinguished University Professor Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, In his concluding remarks shared that cervical cancer is not a trivial disorder and is fatal unless treated and prevented he also added that vaccinations, in general, are the most cost-effective interventions.
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