A nationwide immunisation campaign against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is planned to be administered to all girls aged between 11 and 14, started on Tuesday.

Amid a programme held at Shivapuri Higher Secondary School in Baluwatar, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the campaign.

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

The Ministry of Health and Population said that all girls between 10 and 14 years of age will be administered a single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine during the drive.

During the two-week-long campaign that will continue until February 18, a total of 16,88,768 girls in the age group will be inoculated.

Officials said that 18,900 schools from across the country had been designated as vaccination centres. The vaccine dose will be administered from 8,200 health facilities additionally.

Over 27,000 health workers and more than 54,000 female community health volunteers (FCHVs) will be deployed for the campaign.

The health ministry said that it has already supplied vaccine doses to the districts. The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) supplied 1,770,400 vaccine doses. The alliance has also provided funds to cover the campaign's operational costs, officials say.

Though the exact number of patients suffering from cervical cancer is not known, it is estimated that every day, at least four women die of cervical cancer in Nepal.

BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur said that 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.

The government has appointed renowned Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala as the Goodwill Ambassador for the HPV vaccination campaign. Koirala, who is a cancer survivor, will help in raising awareness about the importance of the HPV vaccine.

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

Last year, Nepal purchased 20,000 doses of the HPV vaccine and administered them to around 9,000 girls aged between 14 and 15 years in all seven provinces. Two doses of the HPV vaccine were administered within a six-month period.

The government has decided to include the HPV vaccine in the routine immunisation list following the compilation of the nationwide drive.

It is estimated that there are around 350,000 girls aged 10 years who will be jabbed with the HPV vaccine.

Nepal will need to cover a certain percentage of the cost of the vaccine once it is included in the regular immunisation list, officials say.

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

Meanwhile, the health ministry said that USAID’s assistance in the planned vaccination drive was halted due to the US government's recent decision to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days.