Nationwide HPV vaccination drive targeting girls aged 10-14 intensifies

KATHMANDU: Efforts to vaccinate girls aged 10-14 against cervical cancer are gaining momentum across Nepal.

In the mountainous district of Manang, 106 school-going girls from grades 1 to 10 will receive the HPV vaccine, according to Rajendra Shrestha, Public Health Inspector at the Health Office.

Additionally, six out-of-school girls in the same age group will also be vaccinated.

“We are preparing to vaccinate girls in the district against cervical cancer by providing HPV vaccines.

Training and orientation for vaccinators are underway,” said Shrestha. Training sessions for health workers and vaccinators are scheduled to begin on January 31 in Manang.

The campaign targets both school-going girls (grades 6-10) and out-of-school girls aged 10-14.

The vaccination will be conducted through four designated centers: Prakashjyoti Secondary School in Nasong Rural Municipality-5, Gauri Shankar Secondary School in Chame Rural Municipality-1, Lokpriya Secondary School in Chame Rural Municipality-4, and Annapurna Secondary School in Manang Ngisyang Rural Municipality-6. Out-of-school girls will be vaccinated at the health office or these centers.

HPV Vaccination Drive in Makwanpur to Cover Over 22,700 Girls

Under the government’s National Immunization Program, 22,713 girls in Makwanpur will receive the HPV vaccine as part of the campaign, timed to coincide with World Cancer Day on Feb 4.

The initiative focuses on school-going students while also including out-of-school girls.

“This is the first campaign of its kind. We will vaccinate girls from grades 6 to 10 and out-of-school girls aged 10-14,” said Krishna Bahadur Mizar, Chief of the District Public Health Office. “We’ve requested vaccines based on data from local health branches, and the campaign will run from Feb 5-8, with some municipalities extending it to Feb 11.”

Makwanpur’s Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City has the highest number of targeted girls, with 11,173 participants (11,068 school-going and 105 out-of-school). Other municipalities include:

• Indrasarowar: 486 girls (448 school-going, 38 out-of-school)
• Makwanpurgadhi: 1,073 girls (1,012 school-going, 61 out-of-school)
• Thaha Municipality: 1,889 girls (1,816 school-going, 73 out-of-school)
• Bhimphedi: 844 girls (811 school-going, 33 out-of-school)
• Manahari: 2,262 girls (2,200 school-going, 62 out-of-school)
• Raksirang: 798 girls (779 school-going, 19 out-of-school)
• Kailash: 1,001 girls (922 school-going, 79 out-of-school)
• Bagmati Rural Municipality: 1,339 girls (1,307 school-going, 32 out-of-school)
• Bakaya Rural Municipality: 1,848 girls (1,696 school-going, 152 out-of-school)

Mizar added that all local levels in the district are prepared, with necessary training and orientation completed for health workers and female community health volunteers. The vaccine, called “Cecolin,” will be administered intramuscularly at a dosage of 0.5 ml by trained health workers.

Regular Immunization Program to Include HPV Vaccination

Starting from the fiscal year 2082/83 (2025/26), the government plans to include the HPV vaccine in its regular immunization program. Future campaigns will expand to cover females above 14 years of age.

In Bagmati Province alone, 218,559 girls will receive the vaccine.