Nepal’s cities lag rural areas in vaccinating children
Summary
Nepal's rural areas show higher HPV and routine vaccination rates than cities, with urban centres lagging at 64% coverage compared to 95% in rural municipalities. Challenges include population dynamics and low vaccine awareness in urban settings, raising risk of disease outbreaks.
Key Points
- Immunisation workers traveled to remote high-altitude villages in Dolpa to successfully vaccinate children against HPV.
- Full immunisation rate in Nepal's metropolitan areas is 64%, while rural municipalities have a higher rate of 95%.
- The nationwide full immunisation rate dropped from 96% in fiscal year 2023-24 to 92% in 2024-25.
- Experts warn that low vaccine coverage in urban areas increases the risk of outbreaks and call for targeted micro-plans to improve vaccination rates.
