Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday publicly had his daughter vaccinated against cervical cancer.
He did that to put all the rumours about the dangers of the vaccination to rest.
“I had never brought my family into the public eye in my 30-year political career,” he told reporters. “But to put an end to these baseless rumours, I have taken this step.”
Kamal said that just as he cared for his own daughter, Rija Kamal, he considered the daughters of the nation equally precious. “Our purpose is to seek Allah’s approval by protecting our people from disease,” he added.
The minister stressed that Pakistan’s healthcare system cannot provide treatment to every citizen and that many patients remain in hospitals for extended periods. He called for greater emphasis on vaccination as a means of prevention.
The health minister also said that more vaccines would be introduced in the future and urged the public to adopt them to shield the nation from life-threatening illnesses.
“Cancer is a deadly disease that affects not just an individual but entire families and prevention remains the best path forward,” he concluded.
The federal government, as well as governments of Punjab and Sindh, had launched the first-ever vaccination campaign against cervical cancer on Sept 15. The campaign targeting millions of girls aged nine to 14 will run till Sept 27.
