Kathmandu, 19th January: The Ministry of Health and Population has sent the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to all seven provinces to prevent cervical cancer for adolescents.
Dr Pawan Jung Rayamajhi, Director of the Supply Management Division of the Department of Health Services, informed that the vaccine has been sent to all provinces after it arrived in Nepal with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI). He said that a total of 1.77 million,020 doses of the vaccine have already arrived in Nepal.
According to Director Dr. Rayamajhi, Gavi is providing free HPV vaccination to protect adolescents from cervical cancer. The federal government has announced that 1.688 million girls aged 10 to 14 years, in grades 6 to 10 and out of school, will be vaccinated across the country from 4 February to 18 February.
How many vaccines in which province?
Director of the division, Dr. Rayamajhi, informed that 275,180 doses have been sent to Koshi Province, 380,460 to Madhesh, 125,800 to Bagmati Hetauda, and 218,280 to Bagmati Bhaktapur.
130,870 doses of vaccine have been sent to Gandaki Province, 298,910 doses to Lumbini, 124,400 doses to Karnali and 187,120 doses to Sudurpaschim. He said that the provinces will store the vaccines safely and send them to their respective districts. The vaccine will be effective after one dose, said Dr. Rayamajhi, director of the division. According to him, four women die from cervical cancer every year in Nepal.
Dr. Rayamajhi said that the main reason for increasing the risk of cervical cancer is human papillomavirus infection, and therefore vaccination against it is necessary. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Nepal, followed by breast cancer.
55,000 teenage girls being vaccinated against HPV in Jhapa 55,000 teenage girls in Jhapa are to be vaccinated against cervical cancer with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. Public Health Officer of the Health Office, Jhapa, Prakash Pathak, informed that 54,999 girls in and out of schools in all 15 local levels of the district will be vaccinated against HPV. He said that girls in grades 6 to 10 in schools and girls aged 10 to 14 out of schools will be vaccinated.
Public Health Officer Pathak said that necessary training and orientation on vaccination has been provided to the health department heads and health department heads of all municipalities in the district. “Work is underway to collect statistics and manage human resources for the vaccination campaign,” he said. The HPV vaccination campaign will be conducted in Jhapa from Magh 22 to 29( February 4-11).
