Kathmandu, Feb. 4 -- A nationwide immunisation campaign against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is planned to be administered to all girls aged between 11 and 14, started on Tuesday.

Amid a programme held at Shivapuri Higher Secondary School in Baluwatar, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the campaign.

Human papillomavirus is a viral infection that spreads through skin-to-skin contact and is a leading cause of cervical cancer-the second-most common cancer in the developing world. It is a major cause of deaths among Nepali women, with hundreds diagnosed with cervical cancer in Nepal every year.

The Ministry of Health and Population said that all girls between 10 and 14 years of age will be administered a single dose of the ...