Submit your Article

The government is set to launch a 'Human Papillomavirus' (HPV) vaccination campaign against cervical cancer in four districts of the country this week.

Head of the Child Health and Immunisation Branch of the Department of Health Services, Dr Abhiyan Gautam, said that the vaccination campaign will be conducted in Dolpa, Humla, Jumla and Manang, where schools were closed due to snowfall in February when the vaccination campaign was conducted across the country.

HPV vaccines were administered to 6th-grade students and 10-year-old girls outside school throughout the country from February 8 to 27, except in those four districts.

Similarly, children from grades 7 to 10 and out-of-school girls aged 11 to 14 were also vaccinated. 

Dr Gautam, the head of the vaccination branch, stated that during the campaign, 323,000 girls in 73 districts were given the HPV vaccine.

Dr Gautam said instructions have been given and health workers trained in those districts to make the necessary preparations for the vaccination campaign.

He stated that the main cause of increased risk of cervical cancer is infection from the human papillomavirus, which is why the government has launched a vaccination campaign against it.

At least seven people died in separate road accidents in the country. 

These fatalities occurred in Rupandehi, Kanchanpur, Palpa and Morang districts, according to police. 

A person died in a road accident that took place in Rupandehi, one in Kanchanpur and four in Palpa and one in Morang. 

Similarly, a person who was injured in a road accident at Rangeli Municipality-7 of Morang, is undergoing treatment at Nobel Hospital, Biratnagar.

Police have been carrying out necessary investigations into the accidents, added police. 

There is a possibility of light rain and snowfall with thunder and lightning and at one or two places in the Tarai region of Koshi and Lumbini Provinces, as well as at a few places in the hilly and mountainous regions of the country today.

According to the Weather Forecasting Division, the weather will remain generally cloudy in the hilly and mountainous regions and partly cloudy in the Tarai region of the country today. 

The meteorological analysis by the Division states that at present Nepal is under the influence of a westerly low-pressure system along with local winds.

The World Water Day 2026 is being observed with a variety of programs today. 

The day is being observed across the globe today under the theme "Water and Gender," and slogan "Where water flows, equality grows". 

Observed on March 22, the campaign highlights the critical intersection of water access, sanitation, and gender equality, focusing on how women and girls are disproportionately impacted by water scarcity and structural barriers

Meanwhile, in a message on the occasion, President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that all government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations and the general public should work with mutual cooperation, coordination and commitment in order to preserve water and ensure its sustainable use and equal access.

He has also pointed out the need to ensure general equality, proportional participation and just access at every tiers of drinking water management. 

"Water is the basis of life, health, prosperity and social justice. From the development of human civilization to the present day, water has guided every aspect of life. Ancient human civilizations developed on the banks of rivers, and in the present situation, the task of conserving nature and water to preserve the existence of life is becoming increasingly challenging," President Paudel has said in the message.

The President has said that in view of the challenge of future water scarcity it is necessary to protect the watershed area for replenishing groundwater resources and promote traditional methods such as the construction of ponds and lakes. 

In a similar message, Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has said that it is necessary to make state policies effective to ensure equitable distribution and access to water. 

“Water is the basis of life, its conservation and proper utilization is our common responsibility,” he has said in the message.

Stating that the groundwater level is decreasing, especially in the Tarai-Madhes, the springs and natural resources of the hilly areas are drying up, he said that everyone should work together to convert these challenges into opportunities, as water conservation is not only an environmental issue but also a question of national existence and future.

The world has been celebrating March 22 as International Water Day every year since 1993 at the call of the United Nations with the aim of raising public awareness about the importance, conservation and sustainable use of water.

 This year, World Water Day is being celebrated in Nepal with various public awareness programs with the message 'The important role of water for gender equality'.