Cervical cancer ranks fourth among women in the world, while in Nepal it ranks second in number and first in death rate. More than 575,000 new patients are seen annually in the world. 3 lakh 11 thousand women are dying every year due to this disease. The World Health Organization estimates that the number of deaths will increase to 7 million by the year 2030.

In 2020, 640,000 new patients were added due to cervical cancer. The death toll was 342,000. 90 percent of whom were women from low- and middle-income countries. Every year in Nepal, 2 thousand 244 new patients are added and 1 thousand 493 women die due to cervical cancer.

Indeed, the discovery of a vaccine for the diagnosis of such a terrible disease is a great achievement. After the Gardasil vaccine, which was developed only in 2005 and approved by the US Food and Research Laboratory on June 8, 2006, this vaccine has been given to 12-year-old girls under the national vaccination program in all countries of Europe and America. HPV vaccines approved by the World Health Organization include Cervix, Guardsil, Guardsil 9 and Cicoline brand vaccines. Among HPV vaccines, bivalent vaccine-2 HPV, quadrivalent-4 HPV and nanovalent vaccine-9 HPV are the main ones.

With the belief that many people can be vaccinated, a study conducted by the World Health Organization in April 2022 showed that a single dose of the vaccine is equally effective. The vaccine causes the body to produce antibodies against HPV. This vaccine prevents HPV infections, including those that cause cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer. Vaccination doses and frequency vary.

95 percent of those who get cancer are found in the age group above 40 years and the most are seen in the age group of 40-50 years. 70 percent of cervical cancers are related to HPV, a virus transmitted through skin-to-skin contact through physical or sexual contact. 80 percent of sexually active women will be infected with the HPV virus at least once in their lives. Of the 200 types of HPV, only 13 types cause cancer, including HPV 16 and 18, which increase the risk of cancer by up to 70 percent. 

In the initial state, no symptoms are visible. Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women who have stopped menstruating is 90% cancer. By the year 2030, strategies and tactics have been made with the goal of 90-90-90 to prevent cervical cancer and eliminate it from public health problems.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has taken a target of 90-70-90. The first 90 is to vaccinate girls between the ages of 10 and 14, the second 90 is to screen or test women aged 30 to 49 for cancer, and the third 90 is to treat 90 percent of diagnosed women. If the target is met, the death rate from this cancer can be reduced to 33.9 percent per 100,000 women by the year 2030. Likewise, it can be reduced by 99 percent by the year 2120. 

Recently, the Government of Nepal has issued a Cancer Control Strategy and Cervical Cancer Prevention Guideline, which will provide HPV vaccination services to teenagers in primary prevention. Cancer should be less than 4 per 100,000 women per year in order to not be a public health problem, but currently this number is 16.  Rumors and misconceptions abound about

vaccination campaigns. Many misconceptions have been spread such as this vaccine causes sterility, it is brought for testing, it is not approved. Which is false. The vaccine is supplied by UNICEF with the help of Gabi. Batch release (lot release) proof of the vaccine is issued by the regulatory body of the country where the vaccine is produced.

According to Medicines Act, 2035, Vaccine Act, 2072 and Vaccine Regulations, 2074, HPV vaccine has been supplied and used in Nepal. The lot number and expiration date of the vaccines are written on the label of each vaccine vial. An independent investigation committee consisting of experts is working to investigate any incident that may occur after vaccination.

Therefore, vaccines provided through the Nepal Government's National Immunization Program are reliable, safe and effective. Those who have been vaccinated against HPV in the past, adolescents under 10 years old and over 14 years old who do not go to school, pregnant women, active patients with fever, those who have been allergic to any vaccine before should not be vaccinated.

In addition, the government of Nepal had announced the start of the vaccination program in the annual budget of the year 2079/080, but it was limited to the announcement. In the budget for the year 2080/81, the HPV vaccination program targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years would be expanded for cancer prevention. From time to time, the government of Nepal and various organizations have done HPV vaccination on a small scale. 

The vaccine approved by the World Health Organization is Secolin, a one-dose vaccine that is being used by 145 countries and operated in 61 countries. It has been approved by the Drug Administration Department in Nepal. In the world, 77 countries are vaccinating schools and 76 countries are also vaccinating men. The meeting of the National Vaccination Advisory Committee on October 23, 2081 recommended to the Ministry, on the basis of which the decision was made to give the vaccine here.