A milestone for women's health in Nepal: the landmark HPV vaccination campaign

Globally, every 2 min, a woman loses her life to cervical cancer, and lower- and middle-income countries account for 90% of these preventable deaths.1 In Nepal, it is the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in females with an estimated 2244 new cases and 1493 women deaths.2,3 Unlike many other cancers, cervical cancers can be prevented, cured and eliminated. As more than 80% of cervical cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage in Nepal, the country is leveraging the HPV vaccine as a cornerstone in its efforts of making cervical cancer a disease of the past.