KATHMANDU: In observance of World Cancer Day, the Ministry of Health and Population is launching a nationwide, free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to prevent cervical cancer, starting today.
This school-focused vaccination initiative will run simultaneously across the country from February 4 to 18, 2025.
The goal of the HPV vaccination campaign is to protect against cervical cancer, the most common cancer among women in Nepal.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, approximately 1.7 million girls will be vaccinated nationwide.
The government aims to vaccinate 1.688 million girls during the campaign, targeting those in grades 6 to 10, as well as girls aged 10 to 14 who are not currently attending school.
Ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki confirmed that girls in the specified age group will receive the vaccine across the country.
“We have already piloted the campaign, and it has been successfully tested. The ministry, along with various agencies and local levels, has worked actively to ensure its success,” he said.
“This two-week campaign aims to ensure that no adolescent girl within the targeted age group is overlooked or given the vaccine more than once.”
Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, Head of the Child Health and Vaccination Section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services, explained that 18,900 school vaccination centers and 8,200 other vaccination centers will be set up for the campaign.
In addition, 27,080 health workers will be mobilized, along with 54,160 volunteers and 15,674 supervisors to oversee the process.
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