MARDAN : An awareness seminar on cervical cancer vaccination for religious scholars was held at the office of the Deputy Commissioner Mardan. The seminar was organized by the Health Department, MERF, and the Khigra Development Organization (KDO) with the aim of promoting a healthy society and protecting women from cervical cancer.Addressing the seminar, Mardan EPI Coordinator Dr. Ziaur Rehman briefed the religious scholars in detail about cervical cancer, its causes, preventive measures, timely protection, and the importance of vaccination. He said that creating timely and accurate public awareness about cervical cancer prevention was extremely important, while religious scholars could play a vital role in achieving this objective.Dr. Ziaur Rehman said religious scholars could provide parents with accurate information about vaccination for girls through their sermons, public gatherings, and social interactions.
He added that they could also play an effective role in dispelling misconceptions and misinformation prevalent in society.He said that the cervical cancer prevention vaccination campaign would continue from November 11 to 24, during which girls aged 9 to 14 years would be vaccinated. He said special attention would be given to ensuring access to girls who were out of school so that maximum numbers of eligible girls could receive the preventive vaccine.Former MPA Maulana Amanat Shah Haqqani, Maulana Israr-ul-Haq Haqqani, and other religious scholars also spoke on the occasion. They presented various suggestions regarding public awareness about cervical cancer, the vaccination campaign, and effective communication of information to parents.KDO District Project Officer Dr. Shah Saud also addressed the seminar and highlighted the importance of cooperation among different segments of society for preventing cervical cancer, raising public awareness, and ensuring the success of the vaccination campaign.
During the seminar, religious scholars asked various questions regarding cervical cancer and vaccination, which were answered in detail by the experts. At the conclusion, the religious scholars expressed their commitment to playing their full role in creating public awareness and providing parents with accurate information about vaccination for girls.
