KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 4
Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel announced that a nationwide vaccination campaign would soon be launched in Nepal to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
Reaffirming the government's commitment to eliminate cervical cancer in Nepal, Minister Paudel revealed that a two-week long HPV vaccination drive would commence on February 5. He made these remarks while addressing the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) meeting in Bali, Indonesia, today.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate nearly 1.69 million girls aged 7-14, free of charge. The Minister expressed confidence that the forthcoming initiative would be a significant achievement, not only for Nepal but also for the global strategy to combat cervical cancer.
Minister Paudel stated that Nepal would collaborate with GAVI to identify priority areas for vaccination. He also briefed the meeting about the government's plans to launch vaccination drives against Hepatitis B and Cholera in the near future.
Addressing challenges such as limited budget allocation for the health sector and a shortage of human resources to support vaccination efforts, he urged GAVI's assistance in strengthening Nepal's public health infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of healthcare providers.