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The Ministry of Health and Population has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) today to join the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (GPACCM). The GPACCM is an initiative by St Jude Global and WHO to increase access to lifesaving childhood cancer medicines in low and middle-income countries.

As a member of the platform, Nepal will receive 35 types of childhood cancer medicines free of cost for four years. The WHO will provide technical support to strengthen the supply chain system and healthcare facilities to ensure the effective distribution of the medicines.

It may be noted that UNICEF is the procurement partner of the GPACCM Platform and will be involved in the procurement of the medicines and delivering them to the port of entry.

The first batch of medicines is expected to arrive in the country by the third quarter of 2024 and will be used for the treatment of childhood cancer in the four participating health institutions namely, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, BP Koirala Cancer Hospital, Kanti Children’s Hospital, and Patan Hospital. It will be expanded to the shared care center hospitals as need arise in the future, according to a statement released by WHO Nepal office here today.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Roshan Pokhrel said with the signing of this agreement Nepal has formally joined the GPACCM platform, which will make a great difference in improving the treatment of children suffering from cancer in the country.

Likewise, WHO Representative to Nepal Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav said this innovative platform will help enhance access to cancer care by addressing medicine availability issues and ensure that children who need essential cancer medications can access them, while also helping reduce the financial burden placed upon parents and families of children with cancer.

Each year, an estimated 900 children are reportedly diagnosed with cancer in Nepal. However, only about one-third of childhood cancer cases receive treatment, primarily due to constraints such as limited access to services and resource scarcity, resulting in increased deaths, according to WHO.

Nepal is one of the six countries worldwide and the only one in the WHO South-East Asia Region selected by the GPACCM platform to participate in this novel initiative.

Nepal stepped into the global spotlight in 2020 as a focus country for the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) which aims to improve outcomes for children with cancer around the world and reach at least 60 per cent survival rate for children with cancer by 2030. At present, the survival rate of children with cancer is only 20-30 per cent in low and middle-income countries compared to over 80 per cent in high-income countries.

The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, the first of its kind, was launched in 2021 as part of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. Developed jointly by St Judes Global and WHO, the platform aims to provide an uninterrupted supply of quality-assure cancer medicines to approximately 120 000 children in low and middle-income countries between 2022 and 2024, with the expectation to scale up in future years.

This platform will provide end-to-end support-consolidating global demand to shape the market, assisting countries with the selection of medicines, development of treatment standards and building information systems to track that effective care is being provided and to drive innovation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has denied any involvement in the cooperative fraud.

Speaking at a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the Parliament today, DPM Lamichhane argued that although his name is linked to the cooperative fraud, no evidence could prove that.

"My name is allegedly linked to the cooperative fraud. There is nothing except my name. My signature is not there. I have not also given my thumb impression on any related document. I have also not received any letter. There is no case against me," he said, adding that there was no other evidence to prove his involvement in the scam. I am also not named as the defendant in the case filed in the court as well, he asserted.

Similarly, Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar said that although a complaint has been lodged with the police regarding the cheating of cooperatives, Deputy Prime Minister Lamichhane is not implicated in that complaint.

"There is no evidence in the complaint related to the cooperative swindling scam linking the Home Minister's name. Although the complaint has come in his name in a symbolic way, there is no evidence," IGP Kunwar said.

Lawmaker Dilendra Prasad Badu urged the meeting to clarify the matter as the DPM's name was linked to the cooperative swindling scam.

"A name called Rabi Lamichhane has been linked with the cooperative cheating case. This name matches with the name of our honorable Home Minister. Is it you? If yes, it calls for a fair investigation. If the investigation is to be made credible, it is better you keep yourself aloof from the post of Home Minister," Badu reiterated.

The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has instructed not to operate online pharmacies.

Director General of the Department, Narayan Prasad Dhakal, said that he ordered disclosure of online pharmacies after the online pharmacies were found to sell medicines through false and misleading advertising.

According to Dhakal, no pharmacies had obtained permits from the Department for running online pharmacies so far and drugs were being sold illegally offering discounts in the name of online pharmacies through social networking sites.

He explained that drugs were being sold in the name of online pharmacies with deceptive marketing gimmicks. The Drugs Act-2034 BS's Clause 19 mandates that there should not be false and misleading advertising of the medicines.

The government is going to establish the National Cyber Security Center to fulfill the aspirations of the 'Digital Nepal Framework 2076 BS'.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 23 this year had decided to set up the Center.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology is going to establish the Center to conduct digital forensic investigation and to act as a focal point for research and development on cyber security, promotion of cyber security, public awareness enhancement, identification of challenges, prevention, response and recovery.

Joint-Secretary of the Ministry and Center's Chief, Anil Kumar Dutta, said, "The establishment process of the National Cyber Security Center has reached a final stage. A structure comprising 12 employees has been formed to operate the Center and the office will be set up within a few days."

He shared that the Center was going to be instituted in view of the increasing cyber insecurity in various countries in the recent days and more so in the context of Nepal.

"As cyber insecurity is increasing and in the context of Nepal, not all know how to use computers. Wi-Fi is available unchecked. We need to go places to streamline it," said Dutta.

According to him, the Center will monitor the sensitive information infrastructures round-the-clock, assess cyber incidents and evaluate risk, and form an emergency support group with technical human resources to address cyber risk that occur suddenly. Such groups will be formed in all local levels as well, he said.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the incumbent government was effortful to conclude the remaining works of peace process by forging a national understanding.

Meeting with the representatives of various organizations of the families of conflict-victims today in Singha Durbar, PM Dahal assured that the government was committed to comply with the court's orders regarding the issues of investigation of the disappeared persons, truth and reconciliation commission.

Dahal admitted that the transitional justice related works have not been completed despite the will of the government. According to him, there were forces which would not allow the remaining works of the peace process to be completed.

The Head of the Government informed that the government had taken forward the bills to carry out remaining works of the peace process.

Furthermore, he shared that the government was making efforts to provide employment to the family members of the conflict-victims, provide medical care for people injured in conflict and to manage housing for them.

The PM reiterated that he was committed towards maintaining lasting peace by bringing the remaining works of peace process to a logical conclusion.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 10. 83 points to close at 2,030.86 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 17 points to close at 359. 46 points.

A total of 6,047,021-shares of 310 companies were traded for Rs 2. 35 billion.

Meanwhile, Sarbottam Cement Limited (SARBTM) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Kalika Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd (KMCDB) was the top loser with its price dropped by 5. 66 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 22 trillion.

The number of tuberculosis patients is on an increasing trend in Karnali Province.

As many as 903 new TB patients were recorded in the 10 districts of the province in the eight months of the current fiscal year, according to the Public Health Office Surkhet.

One thousand and seventy-seven tuberculosis patients were found throughout the province in the last fiscal year whereas 903 people suffering from the disease have been recorded in eight months of the current financial year alone.

The highest number of new TB cases has been found in Surkhet. Three hundred and eighteen new cases were recorded in Surkhet. Similarly, 149 new TB patients were found in Salyan, 101 in Rukum Paschim and 99 in Dailekh, said Dayaram Pangali, the TB Resource person at the PHO Surkhet.

According to Pangali, 86 new TB cases were recorded in Jajarkot, 52 in Kalikot, 54 in Jumla, 19 in Dolpa, 13 in Humla and 12 in Mugu district in the eight months of the current fiscal year.

He said that the publicity and awareness campaign is conducted in the province to bring the patients under medication.

US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson held a meeting with Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairperson Rajendra Lingden on Wednesday.

Mohan Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson and Head of Publicity Department of the party, informed that various issues of bilateral interest were discussed during the meeting held this morning at the RPP party central office in Dhumbarahi.

According to spokesperson Shrestha, during the meeting, chairperson Lingden also inquired with Ambassador Thompson about the news that there is US investment in the Parliament to spread atheism in Nepal.

Spokesperson Shrestha also said that Ambassador Thompson made it clear that America has not made any investment to spread atheism in Nepal and has no policy to do so.

On that occasion, the US Ambassador expressed his opinion that there is religious harmony of excellent nature in Nepal.

Ambassador Thompson also informed that there is an American policy to return to Nepal idols stolen from Nepal and taken to America, and restore them in the respective monasteries and temples.

During the meeting, RPP Chair Lingden informed Ambassador Thompson about the various dimensions of Nepal-US relations as well as the party's policy on various issues including good governance, development and foreign investment.