DHAKA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi interim government completed the final phase of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign in parts of the country with the support of the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO).

The campaign, which ensured HPV vaccination reached 5.6 million adolescent girls (93 percent of those aged 10-14), is an essential step in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer in women, UNICEF said here Wednesday.

Cervical cancer is caused by a common virus (HPV) and is a significant cause of death in women globally. Every year, more than 5,000 women lose their lives to cervical cancer in Bangladesh.

The development, however, of life-threatening cancer is preventable. The first step is to ensure all women have received the HPV vaccine as adolescents.

Since 2008, medical experts in Bangladesh have advocated the importance of wide vaccination. The second critical prevention step is to ensure that all women undertake regular screening.

"As the vaccine is adopted into the routine immunization program from next year, the goal of eradicating preventable cervical cancer takes an important step forward," added Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh.

"The success of the HPV vaccination campaign serves as a powerful testament to the strength of collaboration, with national and subnational ministries, community leaders, and volunteers uniting to drive this effort," said Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative to Bangladesh.

"By reaching 5.6 million adolescent girls with the HPV vaccine, including those in marginalized and underserved communities, we are not only protecting lives, we are also taking a step toward empowering a generation to thrive," said Sam Muller, head of Euro Asia-Pacific at Gavi. Enditem

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