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The government is set to launch a vaccination campaign to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer.

The nationwide vaccination drive will be placed for 15 days from February 5 coinciding with Cancer Day.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, nearly 1. 69 million adolescent girls at the (7-14) age group will be vaccinated free of cost under the campaign.

Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel has decided to launch the 'Human Papilloma Virus' (HPV) vaccination campaign against cervical cancer which is killing four people every day in the country, Ministry's spokesperson Prakash Budhathoki said.

Upon assuming the office, Minister Paudel had pledged to conduct a vaccination campaign for the prevention and control of cervical cancer among adolescent girls.

It was also decided to include HPV vaccine against cervical cancer in the regular vaccination campaign from next year, he said.

There is support from the Global Alliance (GAVI) as well as government investment for the HPV vaccine. Senior Oncologist at Patan Institute of Health Sciences Arun Shahi stressed the need to get vaccinated against human papilloma as the reason for increasing the risk of cervical cancer.

He said women having early marriage, giving birth to children at a premature age, begetting children continuously in a short period of time, having physical relations with multiple partners, excessive smoking and drinking habit and negligence to vaginal hygiene are vulnerable to human papilloma. 

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 200 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 160, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 162, 200 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 35 and is being traded at Rs 1,905 per tola today.

The Chhirkane-Deurali road section along the Prithvi Highway will remain closed for four-and-a-half-hours daily. 

The construction work is being carried out by closing the road section from Chhirkane to Deurali in Byas Municipality-12 along the Prithvi Highway in two phases.

Project engineer Bishnu Prasad Pandey informed that the road section under the Muglin Pokhara Road Project (Eastern Section) is to be completely halted in two phases from November 18 to December 8 to speed up the construction work.

He further said special arrangements will be made to pass the vehicle in case of emergency. "In order to expedite road construction in the eastern section of the Muglin Pokhara Road Project, movement of vehicles other than that of essential ones will remain completely closed during the period".

As of now, 68 percent progress has been made in the eastern section of Muglin-Pokhara road.

According to Pandey, 14 small bridges, two big bridges and 103 culverts have been installed along the eastern section.

It may be noted that the construction work had started in the eastern section from 15 April 2021 after contract signing on 1 January 1 2020. The China Communications Construction was awarded the contract for the construction in the eastern section.

Gandaki Province Assembly member Bimala Gauchan has passed away. She was 63.

Gauchan breathed her last while undergoing treatment of dengue at Grande Hospital in Kathmandu on Wednesday night, informed former President of Nepali Congress (NC) Myagdi and Constituent Assembly member Resham Bahadur Baniya.

She was elected the Province Assembly member from NC through a proportional electoral system.

According to the family sources, her lifeless body has been kept at the same hospital and final rites will be performed after the arrival of her son from the US.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has been launching an orphanage reform drive vigorously and achieving tangible results, said the Ministry.

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, the Ministry inspected several orphanages and sensitized the orphanages' staffers on legal provisions and criteria for running such shelters.

Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi shared that 42 orphanages were granted permission to run the orphanages upon fulfillment of the criteria to run such shelters.

Since Minister Sudi assumed office four months ago, 113 vulnerable children were rescued and kept in shelter homes while 879 children received psychosocial counseling and relief materials.

During the inspection over four months, 31 children staying in various orphanages were reunited with their families.

Preparations are underway to devise a budget code to analyze investment on children, shared Minister Sudi, adding that suggestions were being solicited from stakeholders for amendment on Children Act-2075 BS.

Various measures are being implemented to regularize and reform the shelters for stranded or orphan children, the minister said.

An Indian Delegation led by Dr Umesh Hangalore Hebbar, Chief Scientist & Head of Food Engineering Department CSIR to Nepal met NICCI President Sunil KC at NICCI Secretariat, Ace Apartments, Narayan Chaur, Naxal in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

NICCI President KC welcomed the Indian delegation at NICCI Secretariat and briefed about the NICCI as it is the Non-profit Making Binational Chamber of Commerce in Nepal which is particularly working on the area of enhancement of Nepal-India Bilateral Economic relation, Promotion of Indian Investment to bring in Nepal.

The three-member delegation was accompanied by Garima Nautiyal, Second Secretary (Political & Development Partnership) at Embassy of India, Kathmandu.

Dr Hebbar shared the purpose of visit to NICCI was to apprise about CSIR-CFTRI’s expertise and contributions in the area of Food Science and Technology focusing on the areas of development of food processing technologies, products and machineries for processing; capabilities and Human Resource Development, Skill development and Training, especially for farmers, FPOs and MSMEs, reads a statement issued by NICCI.

Additionally, to understand the requirements of Nepal in the areas of food science and technology industry and explore probable areas of future collaboration between various enterprises of Nepal and CSIR-CFTRI.

As the CSIR is the Government Entity of India, the technology advancement is the key area of their engagement and wish to collaborate with Nepalese industries and association for the advancement of food industries in Nepal providing their knowledge, workings and also to collaborate exclusively with the industries in Nepal as per the specific requirements of the industries.

NICCI and CSIR both have agreed for future collaboration organizing interactions with the members and other stakeholders in Nepal.

Ravi Kumar Rayavaram, Vice President of NICCI, Mukesh Upadhyay, President, NICCI Biratnagar Chapter, Ganesh Shah, Former Minister of Science and Technology, Ram Saran Timalsina, Deputy General Manager of Muktinath Krishi Company, Samikshya Rai, Founder of Pack My Lunch, Mingma Tamang, Director, Makusse Nepal, Prof. Dr. ML Sharma of TU, Prof. Rameshwor Adhikari of RECAST, TU, Mohan Thapa, Head of Admin, Salt Trading Corporation, Niruta Dahal, Business Promotion Manager at Himalayan Vista Pvt. Ltd. and Marshal Rathour, Deputy Director of NICCI accompanied the NICCI team.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has drawn the world's attention to address the problems of climate change and poverty.

Addressing the high-level session organized by Kyrgyzstan in the course of ongoing COP29 in Baku, today, President Paudel viewed that climate change sufferers should be ensured justice, an integrated approach is essential.

"The youths from mountainous countries have migrated elsewhere due to climate change impact, while the poor, women, children and elderly ones are suffering worse. The programs to alleviate poverty and climate change would be launched together to address these twin issues."

He further reminded that the climate change is largely caused by the activities of carbon emissions by the developed countries, but the poor people from mountainous countries are bearing the brunt. "I hope the COP29 will be successful to guarantee justice to the victims," President Paudel mentioned in the session.

As the climate change indicators are breaking records every year, the people in the mountain countries are bound to live in the harshest condition, he said, adding that more than 35, 000 households of mountainous Thame village of Solukhumbu district were displaced due to GLOF (glacial lake outburst floods) in Nepal last August. Similarly, the floods and landslides that occurred in the monsoon took the lives of over 500.

"The suffering and trauma the disasters caused in enduring. Proper evaluation and further preparedness are imperative to minimize the loss and damage," he said.

According to him, as both Nepal and Kyrgyzstan are mountainous countries, they both share similar plights when it comes to climate change.

The event was also addressed by the President of Kyrgyzstan, President of Mongolia and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, among others.

Earlier, President Paudel had addressed the COP29 on Monday.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 14. 12 points to close at 2,734.83 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 5. 08 points to close at 483. 69 points.

A total of 15,362,206-unit shares of 308 companies were traded for Rs 7. 91 billion.

Meanwhile, Saptakoshi Development Bank Ltd (SAPDBL) and Shrijanshil Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SHLB) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Kutheli Bukhari Small Hydropower Limited (KBSH) was the top loser with its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 35 trillion.