The government has launched a nationwide campaign starting today to provide the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls studying in Grade 6.
According to the Department of Health Services, Child Health and Immunization Section, the vaccination campaign will run from Falgun 15 and target girls in Grade 6 across the country as well as out-of-school girls aged 10 years.
Additionally, girls in Grades 7 to 10 who missed last year’s HPV vaccination campaign, and out-of-school girls aged 11–14, will also receive the vaccine under this campaign. In hilly and snow-prone districts, the campaign will be conducted in Chaitra.
Cervical cancer risk is primarily caused by HPV infection, making vaccination against HPV essential. Grade 6 girls will receive the vaccine at schools, while other eligible girls can get vaccinated at designated centers.
Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, Head of the Vaccination Section, stated that the HPV vaccine is 100% effective, urging all eligible girls to get vaccinated. In Nepal, an average of six women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day, with four losing their lives. However, this cancer is preventable through HPV vaccination.
Last year, from Magh 22 to Falgun 6, around 1.7 million girls from Grades 6–10 and out-of-school girls aged 10–14 were vaccinated nationwide. In this 20-day campaign, approximately 350,000 children are expected to receive the HPV vaccine.
Among cancers affecting women in Nepal, cervical cancer ranks second in incidence but is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women.
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