HPV Vaccination Campaign Launched in Kanchanpur to Prevent Cervical Cancer

Kanchanpur. An 'HPV' vaccination campaign has been launched in Kanchanpur starting today to prevent cervical cancer. The Health Office aims to vaccinate 5,678 female students and adolescents across the district. The vaccination campaign will run in the district from today until Falgun 1.

According to Janak Bahadur Kunwar, Cold Chain Officer at the Health Office, this year's campaign targets female students studying in Grade 6 and 10-year-old adolescent girls outside of school. He informed that female students studying from Grade 7 to 10 and adolescents aged 11 to 14 who missed vaccination last year will also be covered.

"Preparations are underway to operate the program by designating vaccination centers in every school," said Officer Kunwar. "Arrangements have been made for adolescent girls who missed vaccination at school or are outside of school to get vaccinated at the nearest health facility on Falgun 1."

A total of 465 vaccination centers, including schools and health facilities, have been designated in all nine local levels of the district for the vaccination campaign. Among these, 362 centers are in schools and 103 are in health facilities. Bhimdatta Municipality has the highest target of vaccinating 1,390 adolescents, followed by Krishnapur Municipality with 843, Punarbas Municipality with 743, Bedkot Municipality with 606, and Shuklaphanta Municipality with 547.

Similarly, Officer Kunwar stated that the target is to vaccinate 561 adolescents in Belauri Municipality, 510 in Dodhara Chandani Municipality, 250 in Laljhadi Rural Municipality, and 228 in Beldandi Rural Municipality.

According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is a high-risk disease among cancers affecting women. Studies have shown that it is the leading cancer among women in Nepal, and the primary cause is the 'Human Papillomavirus' (HPV). Health workers advise that vaccinating adolescents against HPV is the most effective way to prevent cancer. Since symptoms do not appear in the initial stages, doctors suggest that women over 30 years of age should undergo regular cervical cancer screening.

Health workers, Female Health Volunteers, and others have been mobilized at every vaccination center for the campaign. Cold Chain Officer Kunwar informed that vaccines and necessary materials have been delivered to all vaccination centers. He added that special precautions have been taken to ensure that no one in the target group misses the vaccination. The government has been conducting the HPV vaccination campaign targeting adolescents nationwide under the National Immunization Program to reduce the risk of cervical cancer.