Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been confirmed in 90 women who participated in the cervical cancer screening conducted by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

According to the city's Health Department, most of the women who were confirmed to be infected were not aware that they were infected or had any health problems before the screening. 'Out of the 90 people who were confirmed to be infected, 25 were found to be infected with HPV viruses 16 and 18 (HPV 16 in 12 and HPV 18 in 13),' said Chandra Bhatta, focal person for the cervical cancer screening program at the department. 'The remaining 65 people were confirmed to be infected with various types of HPV.'

HPV is a viral infection transmitted mainly through sexual contact, which is considered the main cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is also the leading cause of cancer in women in developing countries.

Cancer is also one of the leading causes of death in women in Nepal. Every year, hundreds of women in Nepal are diagnosed with cervical cancer. According to health officials, although accurate data on cervical cancer patients is not available, it is estimated that at least four women die from the disease every day.

In the study conducted by the metropolis from Chaitra 17 to Baisakh 11, 2,975 women were screened. Of these, 2,779 underwent HPV DNA testing and 1,450 underwent HPV genotype testing. DNA testing is a test to determine whether HPV genetic material is present in cells collected from the cervix. Similarly, genotype testing is a test to identify the type of HPV that causes the infection.

Since the metropolis has limited testing kits, HPV 16 and 18 types were tested in only 1,329 women. HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases worldwide.

'We initially conducted screening camps for about a month, then conducted additional tests including biopsies, mammograms, ultrasonography (USG),' Bhatt said. 'Our study showed that many women who thought they were healthy also had various types of cancer or were infected with cancer-causing viruses.'

According to metropolitan officials, the study showed that women in Nepal are infected with not only HPV 16 and 18, but also dozens of other types of HPV.

According to experts, there are more than 200 types of HPV. Of these, about 40 types infect the cervix, while about 14 types are considered high-risk viruses, which can cause cervical cancer.

According to the health department, all 90 women with confirmed HPV infection underwent colposcopy. Of these, 11 had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), of which 4 were high-grade and 7 were low-grade. CIN itself is not cancer, but if left untreated, high-grade CIN can later develop into cervical cancer.

Nepal has included HPV vaccination in its routine vaccination program and has been providing one dose of the vaccine to all girls aged 10 through government health institutions. The HPV vaccine included in the routine vaccination program provides protection against types 16 and 18 of the virus.

According to health officials, 2,961 women were also screened for cervical cancer. Of these, 411 underwent mammography. Two of the four women underwent breast biopsies and are currently undergoing treatment.

'Most cancer patients in Nepal come for treatment only after they start showing symptoms,' said Dr. Ujjwal Chalise said, 'In the early stages of the disease, there are usually no symptoms. In most cases, by the time symptoms appear, the disease has already progressed, due to which the treatment results are not good. Therefore, timely testing is necessary.'

Experts have urged the local level to provide basic cancer screening services at local health institutions.