KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS (HPV) VACCINE AMONG NURSES AND DOCTORS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS, LAHORE PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Cervical cancer is a serious disease that kills many women around the world, especially in developing countries. It is mostly caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Doctors and nurses are very important because they can teach people about the HPV vaccine and help stop this cancer. Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of doctors and nurses regarding HPV vaccine, employed in tertiary care hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. This study also assesses the association between attitude and practice of participants. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using an adapted questionnaire, having 3 portions of questions, knowledge questions, attitude questions, and practice questions. A total of 200 healthcare personnel (61% medical officers and 39% of nurses) took part from Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore. The data was collected from December 2025 to May 2026, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 26 Mean and Standard. Results: The results showed that most healthcare workers (73% n=146) have a good knowledge level. For example, 78% knew that HPV causes cervical cancer, 69% knew the vaccine is available in Pakistan, and 77% knew the correct age for the vaccine is 9–14 years. Also, 61% correctly chose the Pap smear as the screening test. However, there were some problems: about half of the participants did not know the correct guidelines for catch-up vaccination. Moreover, 72% of participants acquire a good level of attitude and practices. Additionally, results also show a significant association between attitude and practice regarding HPV vaccination. Conclusion: In conclusion, healthcare workers in Lahore have a good understanding of the HPV vaccine, but they still have some knowledge gap about specific guidelines. Medical leaders and policymakers should create clear training programs and workshops to fix these gaps so that doctors and nurses can confidently recommend the vaccine to patients.