Primary healthcare

As Nepal moves further into the post-monsoon season, the health sector faces a precarious balance. On one side are the improving weather conditions and fading monsoon rains; on the other, the remnants of mosquito-friendly conditions – standing water, warm afternoons, high humidity – that sustain dengue transmission.

In 2008, Nepal recorded 97 deaths; since then, annual fatalities have ranged between 6 and 32. But experts caution that the real numbers, especially in remote areas with limited surveillance, are likely higher.

In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, many tribal residents of Paatalkot voiced frustration that successive governments had built health centres in name only.

This was the first major disaster to strike since the Trump administration suspended US foreign aid to Afghanistan in January. While Washington released statements of sympathy, it has made no formal pledge of direct financial assistance to quake relief.

Combined, malaria and malnutrition constitute a “double health burden” that traps the most vulnerable – especially children under five years of age – in a deadly cycle.

The research surveyed 313 doctors using anonymous, self-administered questionnaires. Results are stark: 81.2 per cent of participants scored below the acceptable threshold for knowledge of medical ethics – defined as less than 60 out of 100 – for routine clinical ethical guidelines.

The report underscores the importance of regular, population-based health surveys to track progress and ensure accountability.