100% targeted girls, adolescents vaccinated against HPV in Banke

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Feb. 20: The Health Office, Banke, has reported that all targeted girls and adolescents in the district have received the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.

According to Naresh Shrestha, the immunisation focal person at the Health Office, Banke, the HPV vaccination campaign launched to vaccinate 33,375 girls was completed within 15 days, vaccinating, 32,999 girls, 99 per cent of the target.

Among the municipalities, the highest coverage was recorded in Khajura Rural Municipality, where 57 per cent more girls than the target were vaccinated. The initial target was to vaccinate 3,253 girls, but 5,100 girls received the vaccine.

Similarly, in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, the target was exceeded by two per cent, said Angad Bahadur Shahi, Chief of the Health Office, Banke.  He noted that while Nepalgunj usually used to have lower participation in vaccination campaigns, this time, the response to the HPV vaccine was highly encouraging. A total of 8,400 girls were vaccinated against the target of 8,262. Additionally, 99 per cent of targeted girls were vaccinated in Duduwa Rural Municipality, 97 per cent in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, 90 per cent in Janaki Rural Municipality, 89 per cent in Baijanath Rural Municipality, and 88 per cent in Narainapur Rural Municipality, according to the Health Office.

Kohalpur Municipality recorded the lowest vaccination coverage, with 83 per cent of targeted girls receiving the vaccine. 

Shrestha informed that an investigation would be conducted to determine the reasons behind the lower vaccination rate in Kohalpur.

The HPV vaccination campaign, launched on February 5, aimed to immunise 33,375 girls and adolescents. The campaign was carried out in two phases across eight municipalities, said Shrestha.

The campaign, which concluded on February 18, targeted girls from grades 6 to 10, as well as out-of-school girls aged between 10 and 14 years.

According to the Health Office, the first phase of the campaign ran from February 5 to February 13 in Nepalgunj, Kohalpur, Khajura and Janaki.  The second phase took place from February 12 to February 18 in Rapti Sonari, Baijanath, Duduwa, and Narainapur Rural Municipalities.