Surkhet, Nepal: Tenth grader Kabita, originally from Dailekh District in western Nepal, had been staying in the city of Birendranagar, Surkhet, to prepare for the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). Focused on her studies, Kabita was unaware that a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign had been running across the country. The campaign, launched by the Government of Nepal, with support from Gavi, UNICEF, WHO and other partners, was aimed at adolescent girls just like her, to protect them from cervical cancer in the future.
By the time she learned about it, the vaccine had already been administered in her school back home.
Kabita was not alone in this. Many girls who had temporarily moved to Birendranagar for exam preparations were at risk of missing the vaccine.
Realizing this gap, Birendranagar Municipality, with support from UNICEF, acted swiftly. Enumerators were dispatched to coaching centers in the city to assess how many students had migrated there from other districts.
Their findings were striking — around 700 students from outside districts were attending coaching classes in Birendranagar, with a significant number among them eligible for the HPV vaccine.
A decision was made to extend the vaccination campaign to coaching centers, ensuring that eligible students could receive their doses. Health workers were mobilized immediately.
Kabita and 33 other adolescent girls received the HPV vaccine through this initiative.
She was relieved and grateful, knowing she was now protected. Her father, Keshab, an educator himself, expressed his appreciation for the efforts on the part of both the municipality and UNICEF to ensure that no girl was left unprotected.
