Vaccination Campaign Launched in Nawalparasi Targeting Citizens Over 35 Amid Rising Japanese Encephalitis Cases

Nawalparasi. A vaccination campaign has been launched in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), targeting citizens over 35 years of age due to the increasing rate of Japanese Encephalitis infection in the district.

The vaccination campaign against Japanese Encephalitis began across the district on Chaitra 1, said Keshav Chapagain, Chief of the Provincial Public Health Office, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East). The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 150,000 eligible citizens over 35 within the district.

“In the current fiscal year alone, 15 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been detected in the district, six of whom have died,” he stated, adding, “The vaccination campaign has been launched targeting Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) as the infection rate has been increasing annually.”

Public Health Officer Pravinkumar Khanal stated that the vaccination campaign was initiated to prevent the disease as the risk of the disease is growing in the district. According to him, the vaccination program is being conducted in all eight local levels of the district through this campaign.

According to the Health Office, seven cases of Japanese Encephalitis were confirmed in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) in the fiscal year 2079-80, resulting in five deaths. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2080-81, eight infections were detected, with one death, according to the Provincial Public Health Office.

According to Chief Chapagain, Japanese Encephalitis is a disease transmitted by the Culex mosquito. These mosquitoes are medium-sized, brown, and have white markings on their abdomen. They usually bite after sunset and in the dark. Stagnant water in paddy fields is the primary habitat for these mosquitoes. Japanese Encephalitis is most commonly seen in the months of Shrawan, Bhadra, and Ashwin.

Statistics show that more than 50,000 people worldwide are infected with Japanese Encephalitis every year. Of these, 10,000 to 15,000 people are reported to die.