Govt to administer HPV vaccine to reduce female mortality rate

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Nov.18: The HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine) is being administered without charge nationwide from February 4. 

Recently, the number of untimely deaths due to cervical cancer is increasing. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, about 1.7 million girls will be inoculated against HPV to reduce the risk.

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Prakash Budhathoki, said that the vaccine is being administered targeting the Cancer Day of February 4. 

He said that girls from class six to class ten and all those aged between 10 to 14 years females will be administered vaccines in the upcoming campaign. 

According to him, the target is to give vaccination to more than 1,688, 768 girls on the upcoming campaign. 

He said, "We have estimated that 1.7 million girls will be vaccinated. All schools and health centers will be used as vaccination centers. 90 to 95 percent of cervical cancers gets eliminated from HPV vaccine."

Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the Vaccination Branch of the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services of the Ministry of Health, said that there will be 18,900 schools and 8,200 vaccination centers while 27,080 healthy workers will be deployed. 

54,160 volunteers will be deployed in this campaign. 15,674 supervisors will be involved.

He said, "This is a school focused vaccination campaign. We are preparing to operate from to February 4 to February 18 all over the country.