The Ministry of Health and Population has planned a meeting with senior officials, including secretaries serving at provincial ministries in Kathmandu, for the preparation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive.

Officials at the ministry said that such a meeting with senior provincial officials is necessary to hold relevant agencies responsible for the success of the nationwide drive.

“We got a go-ahead from the health ministry,” said Dr Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the Immunisation Section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services. “We also want provincial governments to shoulder the responsibility of making the nationwide vaccination drive successful.”

Human papillomavirus is a viral infection that spreads through skin contact and is a major cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in the developing world and a major cause of death among Nepali women. It is estimated that hundreds of women get diagnosed with cervical cancer in Nepal every year.

Doctors say most cases of cervical cancer are linked to HPV, and widespread immunisation could significantly reduce the impact of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers worldwide.

Officials say that during the nationwide campaign, over 1.68 million girls between 10 and 14 years will be administered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

“All eligible girls aged between 10 and 14 years will be vaccinated during the campaign,” said Gautam. “The vaccine will be administered in two doses over 12 months, with one dose given at the start and the second after 12 months.”

The vaccine will be included in the routine immunisation programme following the compilation of the nationwide campaign.

The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) will supply doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in December and has also provided the campaign’s operation cost.

Nepal also has to pay a certain percent of the cost of the vaccine once it is included in the regular immunisation list, officials say.

“We have started preparations for the campaign,” said Gautam. “Health workers nationwide, who will be mobilised for the vaccination campaign, are being imparted with the necessary training.”

According to the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur, more than 700 women suffering from cervical cancer seek treatment at the hospital every year.

Experts say early treatment can prevent up to 80 percent of cervical cancer cases.

Countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives have introduced HPV vaccines nationally, while India and Indonesia have introduced them in some districts.

In 2016, Nepal piloted HPV vaccines in Chitwan and Kaski districts. During the pilot programme, all girls aged between 11 and 13 years were given two doses of the vaccine.

Last year, Nepal purchased 20,000 doses of the HPV vaccine and administered it to around 9,000 girls aged between 14 and 15 years from all seven provinces. Health authorities administered the vaccines at schools after other measures failed to increase vaccine uptake.

The World Health Organisation says HPV vaccination is recommended as part of a coordinated strategy to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases caused by the virus.