Altogether 95 percent of girl students between grades 6 to 10 in Kavrepalanchok have been vaccinated against HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which causes cervical cancer.

Though the target was to vaccinate 16,097 girl students, 15,344, or 95.32 percent, have been vaccinated, according to the District Health Office, Dhulikhel.

The vaccination campaign was conducted from February 4-18 for the prevention and control of cervical cancer under the National Vaccination Program.

The Government of Nepal has approved the World Health Organization (WHO)-certified vaccine for girl students studying in grades 6-10 and out-of-school girls aged 10 to 14.

"We received information from the school that some girl students refused to get vaccinated. Perhaps it is because of lack of awareness that 100 percent vaccination could not be achieved", said the Office Chief Ragishree Kakshapati Shrestha. However, the vaccination program is considered successful in general. Girls from 252 community schools and 84 institutional schools in the district have been vaccinated.

Most of the 13 local levels in the district have achieved 99 percent of the target.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, 2,200 women in Nepal are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. Of these, 1,300 women succumb to the disease.