KATHMANDU, Sept 13: Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet has said that the health ministry is committed to providing 'HPV' vaccine against cervical cancer to girls of all age groups across the country.
Inaugurating the HPV vaccine campaign at the Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital on Wednesday, Health Minister Basnet expressed commitment to provide the vaccine to girls of all age groups in the near future. He shared that Gavi has also assured of providing a sufficient amount of HPV vaccine from 2024.
"We have started vaccinating the HPV vaccine despite limited means and resources. All girls from all 77 districts should get this vaccine in the near future. The health ministry will move ahead with this determination," said Minister Basnet.
Similarly, Health Secretary Dr Roshna Pokharel shared that the vaccines would be distributed in a proportional manner as the quantity of the vaccines is limited now.
The vaccination campaign has begun from Paropakar Maternity Hospital in Bagmati Province. The health ministry has announced its plan to provide vaccines to all needy people.
Another Secretary at the Ministry, Dev Kumari Guragain, shared that the HPV vaccine is indispensable to alleviate the disease as per the commitment of the World Health Organisation.
Stating that one can get first dose vaccines by taking an official document with the proof of the age, Director General at the Department of Health Services, Dr Sangita Kaushal Mishra urged guardians, schools and hospitals to facilitate the vaccination process.
Family Welfare Division Director Dr Bibek Kumar Lal said HPV, the vaccination against cervical cancer, has been administered to adolescent girls from the six federal hospitals and from the Dadeldhura Hospital for the girls of the Sudurpaschim Province and from Surkhet Hopital for the girls in Karnali Province from today.
He added that Koshi Province will conduct the HPV vaccination program from Thursday. This vaccine is being administered to girls who have completed 14 years of age and not crossed 15 years as an effort to prevent cervical cancer among them.
Girls born between September 15, 2008 and September 5, 2009 are being administered the HPV.
The HPV vaccination has been administered on Wednesday to the target group from the Birgunj-based Narayani Hospital in Madhesh Province, Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital in Bagmati Province, Gandaki Academy of Health Sciences in Gandaki Province and Bheri Hospital in Banke in Lumbini Province.
Similarly, the vaccine has been administered from the Provincial Hospital, Surkhet in Karnali Province and from Dadeldhura Hospital in Sudurpaschim Province. The vaccination campaign will continue until September 16.
Prior to this, the government had launched the HPV vaccination drive on a piloting basis in Chitwan and Kaski in 2016 and 2017, respectively.