CHITWAN: A total of 6,768 girls in Chitwan are set to receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer. The vaccination will be administered through 725 schools and 114 health facilities across the district.
According to District Public Health Office Chief Nirmal Ghimire, the required vaccines have already arrived. He said around 7,000 doses have been secured to vaccinate girls aged between 10 and 14 years.
The vaccination campaign will target girls studying in grades 7 to 10, as well as out-of-school girls aged 11 to 14. The campaign is scheduled to run from February 8 to 13.
Ghimire said there is no need to operate external vaccination centers in the district, as vaccination centers are already available at the ward level in all local units.
“We have our own vaccination centers and plan to administer the vaccine by visiting each school. There is no need for external centers,” he said.
A district-level immunization coordination committee meeting held on Wednesday also concluded that additional vaccination centers were unnecessary. For the campaign, 325 health workers and an equal number of volunteers will be mobilized.
Speaking at the meeting, District Coordination Committee Chief Narayan Prasad Adhikari and Bakulhar Hospital Chief Dr. Ankit Poudel stressed that the HPV vaccine is essential, especially as cervical cancer-related deaths among women are increasing in Nepal. They called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to ensure the success of the vaccination drive.
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