Over 95% of Girls in Kavre Vaccinated Against HPV

KAVRE: More than 95% of girl students between grades 6 and 10 in Kavrepalanchok have been vaccinated against HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is a leading cause of cervical cancer.

Out of the target of 16,097 girls, 15,344, or 95.32%, received the vaccine, according to the District Health Office in Dhulikhel.

The vaccination campaign, part of the National Vaccination Program, ran from February 4 to 18, aiming to prevent cervical cancer. The Government of Nepal approved the World Health Organization (WHO)-certified vaccine for girl students in grades 6-10, as well as out-of-school girls aged 10 to 14.

Ragishree Kakshapati Shrestha, Office Chief, stated, “We received reports from schools that some girls declined the vaccine, likely due to a lack of awareness, which is why we couldn’t reach 100% vaccination. However, the program has generally been considered a success.”

Girls from 252 community schools and 84 institutional schools in the district were vaccinated. Most of the 13 local levels in the district achieved 99% of their vaccination targets.

According to the Ministry of Health, approximately 2,200 women in Nepal are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with 1,300 of them losing their lives to the disease.