Sindh’s Health and Population Welfare Minister, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, issued a stern warning about the escalating cervical cancer crisis, decrying the dangerous spread of vaccine misinformation on social media platforms and highlighting the Cyber Crime Department’s uncompromising approach against perpetrators as the vaccination campaign is extended to October 1.
While in an exclusive conversation with a private news channel, the Sindh Health Minister expressed deep regret over the educated community’s role in spreading propaganda against the vaccine on social media.
She highlighted that only 33% of girls have been vaccinated so far in Sindh and misinformation from even well-educated individuals is severely hindering efforts to increase this number.
The minister warned that such irresponsible behavior would not be tolerated and urged the public to trust credible sources for information.
She reaffirmed that the government and Cyber Crime Department are committed to taking strict action against those spreading false information to safeguard the health of the community.
She said that with the extension of the vaccination drive, special focus will be placed on areas with high vaccine refusal rates to ensure broader coverage and protect more girls from cervical cancer.
She acknowledged that the HPV vaccine is expensive but emphasized that initially it is being provided free of cost to encourage maximum participation and remove financial barriers.
Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho also urged parents and guardians to prioritize their children’s health by getting them vaccinated and to disregard false information circulating on social media.
She stressed the importance of collective responsibility in combating cervical cancer and assured that the government is fully committed to supporting these life-saving efforts.