Bali: Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel has announced that Nepal will soon launch a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer. The campaign, set to begin on February 5, aims to administer the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine over a two-week period.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the campaign will target nearly 1.69 million girls aged 7 to 14, providing vaccinations free of cost. The announcement was made during the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) meeting in Bali, Indonesia, where Minister Paudel affirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating cervical cancer in the country.
Minister Paudel expressed confidence that the vaccination drive would mark a significant achievement for Nepal and contribute to the global strategy against cervical cancer. He highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts with GAVI to prioritize vaccination areas and shared plans to launch additional vaccination drives against Hepatitis B an
d Cholera.
Despite challenges such as limited budget allocation for the health sector and a shortage of human resources, the Minister called for GAVI’s support in strengthening Nepal’s public health sector and enhancing the capacity of healthcare providers.