Nepal’s cities lag rural areas in vaccinating children
Summary
Immunisation rates in Nepal's urban areas lag behind rural regions, with only 64% full immunisation in metropolitan areas compared to 95% in rural municipalities, raising concerns about vaccine-preventable disease risks in cities.
Key Points
- Immunisation workers undertook a strenuous campaign to vaccinate girls with HPV vaccine in remote Dolpa despite challenging terrain.
- Data shows that median full immunisation rate in metropolitan areas is 64%, much lower than the 95% rate in rural municipalities.
- The nationwide full immunisation rate dropped from 96% in fiscal year 2023-24 to 92% in fiscal year 2024-25.
- Low vaccination coverage in urban areas poses a risk for vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, including recent measles outbreaks in marginalized urban communities.
