The balance that shapes our health

A cat walks slowly through the alley beside a house. It’s a sunny afternoon in Dhaka, and 14-year-old Montaha is walking home from school, a book in her hand and a shy smile on her face. She stops to sit and cuddle the little kitty, the day slowly going toward sunset.

For Montaha, it’s a typical day: an early wake-up, school routines, and swapping chats with friends. But today’s homework is special. She’s working on a physics assignment, and for a girl who dreams of becoming a doctor, writing about the laws of the universe feels perfectly fitting.

Her textbook lies open to a chapter titled ‘Quantum Mechanics,’ with a photo of German physicist Max Planck. In her notebook, Montaha carefully copies sentences about thermodynamics, learning how particles behave, how energy moves, and how balance gives shape to the universe. In a way, it’s the same invisible science, just in a different field, that powers vaccines:  systems finding balance and bodies learning to protect themselves before illness ever arrives. For Montaha, these concepts learned through science have become deeply personal.

UNICEF/Bangladesh/2025/Sketchboard 

Last year, she received the vaccine against HPV, a cornerstone in the life of a young woman, as it is the best protection against cervical cancer. In Bangladesh, cervical cancer is the second common cancer of females that claims the lives of an estimated 5,000 women every year, while 11 women per 100,000 are infected with cervical cancer per year, yet the HPV vaccine still faces persistent misconceptions.

“I was a bit perplexed about this vaccine. I thought I had completed all the necessary vaccines, and that no more would be required for the rest of my life. But later, I learned that there are different vaccines for different diseases and age groups. I had a little fear and confusion about the health impact, but our teacher told us that this vaccine is very similar to others we had received earlier,” recalls Montaha.

Misinformation about the HPV vaccine remains a concern for health authorities. The most recent campaign, conducted in late 2024, included girls from a wide range of educational institutions, including public schools and madrasas. Others were reached through routine immunization fixed sites and outreach centres. In addition to false beliefs linking HPV vaccination to fertility issues, some religious schools initially raised concerns based on socio-cultural and religious grounds, particularly questioning whether the vaccine was halal. Amid the challenges, 5.7 million girls (93 %) were vaccinated during the campaign. The campaign also witnessed innovations like self-registration through the VaxEPI app (5.3 million registered), online micro planning, and Real-time reporting and monitoring.

To help overcome hesitation and misinformation, UNICEF worked closely with the government and religious leaders. Through the Islamic Foundation, awareness sessions were held with respected Islamic scholars, many of whom had initial doubts about the vaccine. Their involvement helped shift perceptions in madrasas like Montaha’s. A Halal certification was also issued and widely shared. At the same time, a national awareness campaign took shape, spreading through social media, local influencers, gynecologists, youth groups, and even scouts and guides. UNICEF also successfully engaged the press at national and local levels to reinforce positive messages and dispel myths. The goal was simple: make sure girls and families heard the facts from voices they trust.

UNICEF/Bangladesh/2025/Sketchboard 

In Montaha’s case, that awareness work made all the difference. Her teacher and her father, a madrasa teacher himself, were both instrumental in encouraging the girls to learn about the vaccine and its benefits:

“I did not know much about HPV before, but I knew a bit about cervical cancer from my friends in the madrasa and neighbors. I was getting information on HPV vaccination through different channels like Facebook and friends,” Montaha explains. “I finally became motivated when our teacher explained in the classroom that HPV can lead to Cervical Cancer. My father also encouraged me to take the vaccine. After that, I shared everything I learned with my extended family members and neighbors.” Montaha was one of 350 students in her Madrasa who were immunized.

 The day of the vaccine passed, but the questions it raised didn’t. What else should girls know? Where could they ask? In physics, energy moves through systems, but in Montaha’s world, the flow of information is far less certain.

“Sometimes I face difficulties when it comes to sharing menstrual-related problems. I usually ask my father to buy medicine for me from the local pharmacy, but it can be hard to talk to him about these things,” says Montaha. “For issues like this, I used to talk to my mother, or sometimes with my two best friends at the madrasa for suggestions. Overall, I don’t really know where I can get health-related information in our area,” she adds. “I think it would be good to include health-related topics in the madrasa education curriculum, with special focus on vaccination, menstrual hygiene, and other adolescent health issues.”

The HPV Plus initiative was created for exactly that reason. Launched by UNICEF, with support from the Government of Canada, it uses the HPV vaccine as an entry point to offer a wider circle of support, connecting adolescent girls to essential health services like menstrual hygiene, nutrition, reproductive health, HIV care, and mental health. By linking these elements, HPV Plus helps girls not only protect themselves but also begin to take charge of their own development and well-being. The campaign has been made possible through the support of key partners: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supported the overall rollout of the HPV vaccination programme; and the Gates Foundation, whose support has been instrumental in reaching the most marginalized and out-of-school girls.

The knowledge Montaha gained is now inspiring other girls. In her words: “I have shared my experience with other girls in my community. Some of my elder friends have shown interest in taking the vaccine. I like to show myself and my friends as examples; we took the HPV vaccine last year and didn’t face any health problems. The message I like most is ‘vaccine saves lives.’ Now, I personally believe that vaccination coverage has contributed a lot to our well-being.”

Montaha is not a poster child; she doesn’t need to be. She is a young woman growing into her aspirations through knowledge, awareness, and a quiet but relentless community spirit. Montaha is learning that particles alone do little, but together, they shape the universe. It’s the same with people and health: when knowledge is shared and decisions are collective, they create the balance that keeps everyone safe.

Montaha UNICEF Facebook post link https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19M6Y6fBLU/?mibextid=oFDknk