Kathmandu [Nepal], February 10 (ANI): With less than a month remaining before parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, Nepal has continued its nationwide Human Papillomavirus vaccination campaign.
Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population has instructed all relevant authorities to complete the inoculation drive within three weeks starting this week, ensuring that the campaign is not disrupted by the upcoming polls.
According to Nepal’s Child Health and Vaccination Branch of the Department of Health Services, vaccination has begun for girls studying in Grade 6, as well as for out-of-school girls aged 10 years and above. During the campaign, girls in Grades 7 to 10 and out-of-school girls aged 11 to 14 who missed last year’s HPV vaccination will also receive the vaccine.
Vaccinations for girls in Grade 6 are being administered at schools, while out-of-school girls can receive them at health centers. “The immunization campaign has been rolled out. The HPV vaccine is being administered to girls aged 10 to 19 years. This time, female students in Grade 6 are being targeted,” Bhawana Ojha Joshi, a health official, told ANI.
HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact and is a leading cause of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in the developing world. Cervical cancer remains a major cause of death among Nepali women, with hundreds of cases diagnosed each year.
Officials said about 345,000 girls studying in Grade 6 are the primary target of the vaccination drive, along with an additional 55,000 out-of-school girls. Health workers are administering vaccines at schools, while health facilities are catering to out-of-school girls aged 10 and above.
Although the exact number of cervical cancer patients in Nepal is unknown, it is estimated that at least four women die daily from the disease. BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur treats more than 700 women annually for cervical cancer.
Doctors noted that HPV has more than 100 types, ranging from low-risk to high-risk infections. Types 16 and 18 are most frequently associated with invasive cervical cancer and are considered more carcinogenic than other types. Most cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV, and widespread immunization could significantly reduce the disease burden. Experts said early treatment can prevent up to 80 percent of cervical cancer cases.
Nepal launched a nationwide HPV campaign in February–March last year, inoculating around 1.5 million girls aged 11 to 14 with a single dose of the vaccine. Experts note that the vaccine is most effective before a girl becomes sexually active, while its effectiveness decreases for sexually active women.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization supplied vaccines for last year’s campaign and this year’s program, with a commitment to continue supporting the routine immunization program. The World Health Organization recommends HPV vaccination as part of a coordinated strategy to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, claiming more than 350,000 lives annually.
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