KATHMANDU, Nov 14: The government is set to launch a vaccination campaign to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
The nationwide vaccination drive will run for 15 days from coming February 5 coinciding with Cancer Day.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, nearly 1.69 million adolescent girls in the (7-14) age group will be vaccinated free of cost during the campaign.
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“Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel has decided to launch the 'Human Papilloma Virus' (HPV) vaccination campaign against cervical cancer which is killing four people every day in the country,” Ministry's spokesperson Prakash Budhathoki told RSS.
On assuming the office, Minister Poudel had pledged to conduct a vaccination campaign for the prevention and control of cervical cancer among adolescent girls.
It was also decided to include HPV vaccine against cervical cancer in the regular vaccination campaign from next year, he said.
The Global Alliance (GAVI) as well as the government are supporting the investment for the HPV vaccine. Senior Oncologist at Patan Institute of Health Sciences Arun Shahi stressed the need to get vaccinated against human papilloma as the reason for reducing the risk of cervical cancer.
He said women who are married early, who give birth to children at a premature age, who beget children continuously in a short period of time, who have physical relations with multiple partners, who smoke excessively and who drink and have poor vaginal hygiene are vulnerable to human papilloma.
