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Literary figure Shree Prasad Upadhyay (SP Asa) is no more. He died at the age of 80 on November 15. He was a renowned literary figure who wrote about history and made it interesting.

According to his daughter Uma Ghimire, SP Asa had been suffering from prostate cancer for the past three years. A day before his death, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and was admitted to B&B Hospital in Gwarko. He breathed his last at the Pashupati Aryaghat, leaving behind his wife, three daughters, and a son. His last rites were performed on the day he died.

Asa was born in Sitapaila, Saranpur, and was always interested in reading and writing. He wrote about political issues and historical upheavals including the Rana regime and dethronement of King Gyanendra among others.

Among his varied interests were finding scientific explanations of many of our religious rituals. He gave many fascinating scientific explanations for activities carried about by pundits in various ritualistic ceremonies.

Ek Aankhe, Dui Mukundo, Abhag, Sister Shova, Antim Abhilasha, Doctor D, Mahasamanta, Raktasamman, Ek Babako Jeevani, Dravya Shah, Chitkar, Serofero are some of his published novels. He also dabbled in poetry and has published a few collections as well. He was popular for his social, detective, and historical novels. Loktantra Aghi ko Mahabharat and Nepal ko Pahilo Kotparva are some of his works on history. All in all, he has published more than three dozen books. He also wrote newspaper articles.

He also served as the vice chairman of the National Committee of the World Hindu Federation and was active in the restoration of democracy. He was also involved in politics and a leader of the Nepali Congress in the revolutions that took place in the country.

Asa Pragyan Kendra was established in his name in 2012 and has branches in Sikkim, Assam, and Manipur in India, Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Australia. The center, with assistance from the Nagarjuna Municipality, has published a memorial volume in Upadhyay’s honor.

Post-graduate students in Nepali have written research papers on him. Various authors have written books on his literary life. But his legacy perhaps lies in the fact that he was a kind man, always willing to lend a helping hand. His daughter Uma says he was a support system for the family as well as his relatives and friends.

In his own ways, he was a philanthropist too. He advocated for women’s empowerment and was a staunch supporter of the necessity to educate girls and women. He also used to narrate stories of Shivapuran, Shreemad Bhagwat Saptaha Puran, and Nawah (religious ceremonies) in public and help collect money to construct public buildings.

 “He used to give money to children for their studies,” says his daughter, adding he never shied away from helping others, even when he might not have had enough himself.

Before his death, he had wanted to publish a book on how Palpa’s Rani Mahal was constructed and how girl children were sent to the palaces. But the dream didn’t materialize because of a lack of funds.

For her father’s sake, Uma wishes the government to give literature its due and invest in it so that writers like Upadhyay can wholly immerse themselves in the field.

Born: 30 July 1944

Death: 15 Nov 2023

Police on Thursday arrested Yograj Dhakal Regal, a convict who had been serving a 20-year term in a murder case, from Setu BK Chowk in Nepalgunj after the Supreme Court revoked the presidential pardon granted to him, ordering his re-arrest and imprisonment. Regal is now in the custody of the Banke district police office. 

A full bench of judges Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Sapana Malla Pradhan and Kumar Chudal overruled the leniency granted to Regal, arguing that the decision to spare Regal the rest of his jail term was in violation of the rights of his victims and ordering government authorities to send him to prison immediately for serving the rest of his term.

President Ramchandra Paudel, acting on a recommendation from the Council of Ministers, had pardoned Regal on the occasion of the Constitution Day, sparing him the remaining term of 11 years, 11 months and five days.

Bharati Sherpa, wife of Chetan Manandhar, the murder victim, had objected to the presidential pardon and moved the apex court stating that the release was against the Constitution.   

The Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Home Affairs and the District Administration Office, Banke were made the defendants in the case.

Subsequently, the apex court had ordered the government to furnish written clarifications regarding its decision to grant amnesty to Dhakal

The court had ordered the authorities to submit to it the copies of all relevant decisions related to the case and ordered the Attorney-General to appear before the court in person on the day of the hearing.

A gangster and the then president of Tarun Dal Banke-3, Regal used to extort transporters operating Nepal-India bus services. On 24 April 2018, a bench of Banke district court judge Bishnu Subedi had convicted Regal as the mastermind behind the 13 July 2015 murder of Manandhar at a hotel in Surkhet Road area and sentenced him to 20 years behind bars.

Regal, at large after the murder, had surrendered before the court after police launched a series of encounters against gangsters.

The SC judgment against the presidential pardon states that consent of the victims’ side must also be taken while granting presidential pardons in accordance with relevant laws.

Meanwhile, Chetan’s wife Bharati, who had been staging a hunger strike at Maitighar Mandala since October 4 against the pardon, broke her fast after the court verdict. Bharati said she was grateful to the court for delivering justice.

The Supreme Court has ordered the government to furnish written clarifications within seven days regarding its decision to grant amnesty to Yograj Dhakal ‘Regal’, a murder convict doing a 20-year jail term.

The Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Home Affairs and District Administration Office, Banke have been made the defendants in the case. 

Responding to a writ from Bharati Sherpa, wife of Chetan Manandhar, whom Regal had murdered, a bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma also ordered the government to provide security to the victim’s family.

The court has ordered the authorities to submit to it copies of all relevant decisions related to the case and ordered the Attorney-General to appear in the court in person on the day of the hearing.

President Ramchandra Paudel, acting on a recommendation from the Council of Ministers, had pardoned Regal on the occasion of the Constitution Day.

Manandhar’s family had objected to the presidential pardon and his wife had moved the apex court stating that the release was against the Constitution.

A gangster and the then president of Tarun Dal Banke-3, Regal used to extort transporters operating buses between Nepal and India. Regal had killed Manandhar at a hotel in Surkhet Road area on 13 July 2015. On 24 April 2018, a bench of Banke district court judge Bishnu Subedi had convicted Regal as the mastermind behind the crime and sentenced him to 20 years behind bars.

Regal, at large after the murder, had surrendered before the court after police launched a series of encounters against gangsters. 

The rise in the price of sugar has hit the customers hard. Just two weeks ago, sugar was available in the market at Rs 105 per kilogram, but it has now skyrocketed to Rs 140. Moreover, sugar has become scarce in stores, resulting to black marketing. 

The Department of Commerce has sealed the largest sugar warehouse in Kathmandu over alleged black marketing activities. 

The warehouse belonged to Griheshwori Tradelink, and it had been storing sugar under artificial storage with unclear labeling.

Anandraj Pokhrel, information officer at the department, confirmed the warehouse’s closure and said that the sugar was sent for quality testing. 

A complaint was filed with the department, accusing the businessperson, Santosh Khetan, of buying sugar at a low price from industries and selling it at a higher price in Kathmandu without proper invoices. Khetan was allegedly billing the sugar at only Rs 105 per kilogram after selling it at Rs 127 per kilogram wholesale.  

“The report submitted by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control states that the quality of the sugar has no problem. But as there are no packaging details, we have sent a letter to the producers asking for clarification,” said Pokharel. 

Rajeev Shrestha, a tea shop owner, has not seen such a rise in sugar prices. He said that he had been paying Rs 25 extra for sugar because of the price hike. “Despite the price hike, I have to run the business in order to get by,” he said. 

Sugar ban likely

India is expected to ban sugar mills from exporting from October, making the first halt in export in seven years. The decision is led by a lack of rain that has cut cane yields, according to Reuters. 

India allowed mills to export only 6.1m tons of sugar during the current season to Sept 30, after letting them sell a record 11.1m tons last season. India’s sugar production could fall 3.3 percent to 31.7m tons in the 2023/24 season, as per Reuters. 

In India, sugar prices rose by more than three percent in a fortnight. Monsoon rains in the top cane growing districts of the western state of Maharashtra and the southern state of Karnataka—which together account for more than half of India’s total sugar output—have been as much as 50 percent below average so far this year. Patchy rains would cut sugar output in the 2023/24 season and even reduce planting for the 2024/25 season. 

Trading Economics, an IT service and IT consulting service provider based in New York, reports that insufficient rainfall in India’s key producing states exacerbated poor growing conditions for next season’s crop. The current drought added to concerns that El Nino will extend dryness for a prolonged period, driving cane yields to slump and potentially prompting the Indian government to limit sugar exports for the upcoming season, as it attempts to contain elevated food inflation in the country. 

Rising demand of sugar 

As the Dashain and Tihar festivals are approaching, the demand for sugar has started increasing. The consumption of sugar increases for households and industries ahead of the festival.

Therefore, in view of the upcoming festivals, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has asked the Finance Ministry to waive customs for importing 60,000 tons of sugar to meet the demand. The finance ministry has, however, given permission to import only 20,000 tons for the time being. 

Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and Food Management and Trading Company are set to import 10,000  tons of sugar each for the upcoming festival season. Pokhrel said the procurement process has already started. 

Nepal’s domestic demand for sugar stands at 300,000 tons and it needs to import a huge quantity of sugar mainly from India. There are 12 sugar factories in Nepal that produce around 100,000 tons of sugar. 

The country immediately has 188,000 tons of sugar in stores. The government has slashed the import duty by half to provide relief to consumers. The usual import duty on sugar is 30 percent and there is another 13 percent VAT.

Decline in sugarcane production 

There has been a continuous decline in sugarcane production in the country. As per Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Department, the production of sugar has been constantly declining over the past four years. 

The ministry says production has been falling due to high costs and increasing market risk. Difficulties in getting payment from the mills and chemical fertilizer have discouraged farmers from planting the cash crop. Heat waves, untimely rains and depleting water level have also affected the sugarcane production, leading to disruption in demand and supply curve. 

A host of factors such as weather, supply and demand, health concerns and consumer preferences affects the price of sugar.

Jyoti Baniya, a leading consumer rights activist, said the surge in sugar price has affected businesses and households alike.  “As the festivals are nearing, the rise in sugar price and its shortage will make it difficult for people to purchase this essential item,” 

The Consumer Protection Act 2018 states that every consumer has the right of easy access to goods or services and has the right to choose quality goods or services at the fair competitive price. But the access to sugar consumption is not so. 

If the government fails to inspect and meet the demand and supply of sugar, it is likely that the price will continue to rise. 

Doctors across the nation have risen in protest against the alarming surge in violence targeting medical professionals and healthcare workers. 

Most recently, an angry mob vandalized property and assaulted a doctor at Manipal Teaching Hospital in Pokhara. The incident followed the death of one Sukmaya Dura (57) from Lamjung in the course of treatment at the hospital. 

Enraged by Dura’s death, an agitated crowd resorted to violence. Their accusations centered on the alleged concealment of the Dura’s condition and suspicions of medical negligence, as they questioned how a seemingly stable patient could pass away so suddenly.

This disturbing trend of violence against medical practitioners has rippled across various parts of the country, with reports of two doctors being assaulted in Hetauda, and another doctor in District Hospital Lamjung suffering a similar fate, all amid accusations of inadequate medical care. Incidents of violence against doctors and medical professionals have also been reported in Butwal, Biratnagar, Chitwan, and Patan, leaving health workers across the country fearing for their lives.

In solidarity with their fellow healthcare professionals and to demand enhanced security measures, doctors in white coats gathered in Kathmandu’s Maitighar Mandala on Tuesday, brandishing placards bearing messages like “Don’t come to the hospital, save the lives of both doctors and patients,” and “Stop violence against health workers.” They demanded swift action against the perpetrators and an end to this vicious cycle.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Medical Association, in a strongly worded statement signed by General Secretary Dr Sanjay Tiwari, condemned these repeated attacks on doctors. The NMA stressed that without justice for these assaults, healthcare providers are left vulnerable and fearful, which imperils the delivery of essential medical services.

To address this crisis, the association has urgently called for a meeting involving hospital directors, resident association officials, and representatives from various specialty societies. Dr Sandip Okheda, president of the National Resident Doctors’ Association, Kathmandu, lamented the demoralization of health practitioners and emphasized that effective implementation of the Security of Health Workers and Health Organizations Act 2010 is vital to curb such violence.

The act stipulates severe penalties for attacks on health workers and health institutions, with those responsible facing imprisonment of up to three years or fines of Rs 300,000, or both. Vandalism of health institutions is equally punishable, with penalties ranging from two to five years in prison or fines of Rs 200,000 to Rs 500,000, or both. Furthermore, the act ensures compensation for health workers and organizations suffering losses due to such offenses.

An amendment to the act introduced in 2022 also bans picketing, assaulting health workers, obstructing healthcare services, and damaging health institutions. Under the act, health workers and institutions can request immediate security from local authorities in response to threats or violence.

Dr Okheda underscored the urgent need for action against these perpetrators, echoing the growing chorus for justice and safety for those who dedicate their lives to saving others.

Rajendra Parajuli is a prominent name in Nepali literature. He is well known for his journalistic writings and critical reviews. A permanent resident of Koteshwor, Kathmandu, he used to write on discrimination, injustice, and socio-economic issues among others. The writer will now be remembered through his work.

Parajuli was rushed to B&B Hospital, Gwarko, Lalitpur, on the night of Sept 11. He was suffering from pneumonia and had developed some complications. He was admitted to the ICU and died at 7:00 in the morning the next day. He was 59. Parajuli was cremated the same day. He is survived by a wife, a son, and a daughter.

Some of his notable works are Koteshworko Keto, Shukraraj Shastri ko Chasma, Aghori, Aanayika, Jadako Bhok, Sapanama Marx, and Bikalpa Yatra. Jantarmantar, a collection of 15 short stories, was his most recent work. The stories in the collection deal with the issues in the country’s politics, the decade-long people’s war, and the effects of the economy and politics in Nepali society.

Parajuli has also written essays and poems in which he has explored various negative emotions like sadness and worry. He was passionate about reading.

He had been active in journalism for more than three decades. He worked at Nepal Samacharpatra, Abhiyan Dainik, Baarakhari, Nagarik, Himal Khabarpatrika, Spacetimes, Kantipur daily, and Capital magazine.

“Gaju, you must write and keep on writing, a senior writer who used to say such is no longer with us. My hands are shaking as I write these words. The eyes are filled with tears. Parajuli, who loved me dearly, my former colleague, brother, senior journalist, and writer, passed away during the course of treatment. Condolences,” wrote journalist Gajendra Budathoki on Twitter.

Nayan Raj Pandey, Parajuli’s friend for over 30 years, remembers him as someone with incredible strength and courage. According to Pandey, Parajuli was an honest reviewer who used to openly talk about both his and other people’s works. He took criticism well. Pandey says he has not been able to accept the fact that his friend is no more. “It feels like we will meet another day.”

Parajuli believed that you don’t write reviews to make someone happy or sad. A review, he always said, was a dissection of the book. He was also of the view that a review, good or bad, is an advertisement in itself.

Autobiographies, he felt, should not be a glorified presentation of the writer. Rather, the author should include his/her weaknesses as well. Working on an autobiography could well be a way of self-evaluation. He believed you were your own critic when working on an autobiography.

Birth: 24 April 1964, Kathmandu

Death: 12 September 2023, Kathmandu

Nepal, a nation already grappling with food security concerns, now faces a growing fear of impending food scarcity. A confluence of issues on both domestic and global fronts threatens to disrupt the supply of grains and exacerbate the situation.

The outbreak of lumpy skin disease on livestock has dealt a severe blow to Nepal’s agricultural sector. This epidemic, coupled with a low monsoon rainfall and reduced rice plantation, has raised alarm bells regarding the prospects of a diminished paddy harvest.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, paddy transplantation has been affected this year due to the late onset of monsoon in Madhes, Koshi, and Bagmati provinces.

As of July 28, paddy had been transplanted on 77 percent of the 1.35m hectares of available rice paddies. Transplantation had been completed on 90 percent of the total cultivable land last year.
 

Shrinking agricultural land and rising food prices 

In addition to these domestic challenges, a decade-long trend of decreasing agricultural land has cast a shadow on food security. The recently released Agriculture Census for the fiscal year 2021/22 reveals a disconcerting decline of 0.3m hectares in agricultural land over the past decade.

According to the census conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Nepal’s total area of agricultural land holdings in FY 2021/22 stood at 2.22 million hectares, down from 2.52m hectares in FY 2011/12. While the number of farming families has increased, arable land is dwindling, with fragmentation becoming a growing concern. Over the past 10 years, both the total number of land parcels and the average number of land parcels per holding have decreased, a clear indication of a more fragmented landscape.

The majority of agricultural land, approximately 1.73m hectares, is allocated for temporary crops like paddy, maize, wheat, and vegetables, but this area has seen a significant reduction in the last decade. Notably, paddy cultivation has suffered a 16 percent decrease over the same period, a trend echoed in maize and wheat production.

Nepal's food security concerns are further exacerbated by rising food prices. The price of rice, a staple food, is surging in the domestic market, primarily due to India's announcement of a global ban on the export of all rice varieties except Basmati. This decision came in response to Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Deal amidst the Ukraine war, straining an already vulnerable global food supply chain.

Despite government reassurances of a three-month stockpile and the upcoming harvest season, panic buying persists, leaving traders capitalizing on the crisis. India's imposition of a global ban on non-Basmati rice exports has only exacerbated the problem.

“The shortage has been created because of the rice export ban by India. But we are hopeful that the new paddy will be produced after two months,” says Sitaram Chaudhary, a rice supplier in Koteshwor, Kathmandu. 

Meanwhile India has also imposed a 20 percent duty on exports of parboiled rice with immediate effect on Aug 25. India had exported 7.4m tons of parboiled rice in 2022.

India’s Ministry of Finance of India issued a notice saying that the government decided to impose export tax on all types of parboiled rice till Oct 16. 

In response to the crisis, Nepal has requested 155,000 tons of grains and sugar from India, highlighting the interconnectedness of the region's food security.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also requested India to remove export restrictions on non-Basmati rice, noting that such restrictions are likely to exacerbate volatility in food prices in the rest of the world. 

Homnath Bhattarai, information officer at the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, says there is a sufficient amount of paddy and rice for the time being. 

“Even though the festival season is near, the supply chain is faring well. We will not have rice scarcity,” he claims.

Global factors amplify woes

Nepal’s plight is part of a larger global crisis, triggered by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Fertilizer price spikes, coupled with concerns about availability, are casting a long shadow over future harvests, potentially leading to sustained price increases.

The war's impact on Ukraine’s agricultural system has been catastrophic, with machinery damage, grain loss, and disrupted logistics. Many farmers have left agriculture to join Ukraine’s armed forces, and the disruption of agricultural logistics, including increased transport costs and plummeting domestic prices, adds to the crisis.

According to official estimates from Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (MAPF) and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) since Russia invaded Ukraine, 84,200 pieces of agricultural machinery have been totally or partially damaged, four million tons of grains and oilseeds have been destroyed or stolen, and storage for 9.4m tons of agricultural products has been damaged or destroyed.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, designed to boost grain exports from Ukraine, has partially offset lost maritime routes with more expensive land-based export options. Rising average shipping costs for agricultural products, coupled with limited access to export routes for Ukrainian farmers, further contribute to food security concerns.

The World Food Program (WFP) reports that a record 349m people across 79 countries now face acute food insecurity due to the global crisis. Low- and middle-income, food-importing countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, dependent on Black Sea imports, have borne the brunt of this crisis, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that a prolonged disruption of exports from Ukraine and Russia could lead to an increase of 8m to 13m undernourished people in 2022.

Pakistan floods and fertilizer shortage

Adding to the global challenges, Pakistan's recent floods have impacted rice prices, witnessing a 20-30 percent surge since September 2022, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. Global stocks have fallen by about five percent year over year, reaching their lowest levels since 2017/18.

Floods have ravaged 1.7 million hectares of agrarian land in Pakistan, damaging major agricultural products, including rice, tomatoes, onions, wheat, and vegetables. The country now faces the risk of food scarcity as a result of these environmental challenges.

Environmental factors, such as the rapid emergence of El Niño and a forecasted positive Indian Ocean Dipole or the Indian Niño, also raise concerns about potential impacts on rice production in South and Southeast Asia.

Moreover, disruptions in global fertilizer markets in 2022 are affecting rice production. China, a major exporter of nitrogen-based and phosphate-based fertilizers to Asia, implemented trade restrictions that significantly reduced exports, causing a spike in fertilizer prices.

Rice is a fertilizer-intensive crop, and 2022 saw large disruptions in global fertilizer markets. 

China, a major exporter of nitrogen-based (N) and phosphate-based (P) fertilizers to many Asian markets, implemented trade restrictions in October 2021 that sharply reduced exports of fertilizer products such as diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea. Chinese DAP exports, which typically account for 30 percent of global DAP trade, fell by 43 percent in 2022 compared with 2021, while Chinese urea exports declined by 47 percent in the same time frame.

Countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, responsible for nearly 60 percent of global rice production and over 80 percent of global rice exports, depend heavily on fertilizer imports. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has further exacerbated the global fertilizer price crisis, raising concerns about its impact on future yields.

The global food security crisis underscores the need for coordinated international efforts to address these multifaceted issues. As nations grapple with interconnected challenges, ensuring food security has become a critical imperative.

For Nepal, the ability to mitigate the impending food crisis largely hinges on the formulation and execution of a comprehensive action plan to boost food grain production.

Rice imports from India in MT

Year 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23

Non-Basmati 1,284,631 1,387,355 765,455

Basmati 9,090 19,336 46,593

Shambhu Acharya is Nepal’s candidate for regional director of the WHO-South-East Asia Region. He has more than three decades of national and international experience in policy and strategy development and analysis, policy dialogue, technical advice and program management support to various countries and WHO country offices. Sabitri Dhakal of ApEx talked with him about his nomination and plans for the region if elected.

Why do you feel like the right candidate for this job?

I have the honor to be nominated to be the candidate for regional director of the World Health Organization East Asia Region and this is something very important and I can do a lot in the region as a leader of the region. This is a position that is going to be elected by 11 member countries of the South East Asia Region and this is a Member State driven process. I feel that I have the right profile based on my long experience, my public health background and the wide range of public health work I have done throughout my professional career. I believe that it makes me the best fit for the regional director and I am looking forward to being elected and then working with the 11 Member States in terms of improving the health services and ensuring health and well-being of people of the member states.

This region is home to one fourth of the world although the countries are small in number. 

It has a number of opportunities and challenges. There are health challenges because it still has problems with some communicable diseases, tropical diseases, poverty related diseases and now because of the economic growth and advancement in countries in the region it is also facing non communicable diseases challenges. The region also has opportunities because they have talented youths and are leading the cutting-edge technology innovation and digitization process that can be used for improving health services especially those who are left behind. The region has great capacity in terms of producing, manufacturing generic medicines, diagnostics and kits and supplies and often the region is called global factory of producing general medicines since it has shared for instance vaccines, generic HIV TB medicines with other countries for those who really can’t afford. 

If elected, what is your vision?

This region has great opportunities, and it has achieved substantial gains in health. Of course, Covid-19 pandemic has dampened a bit but now the speed is again scaling up in terms of improving health services. For me, I want to see this region as a healthy region. I would like to work together with member states to ensure that everyone has access to health services, the quality health services that they need regardless of where they live, who they are, what kinds of income they have and who they are in terms of their identity. I have outlined five strategies to implement if I am elected as Regional Director. 

One is about promoting health in the overall development and through the whole of government and society approaches involving communities, involving individuals to make sure that they understand the importance of health and every citizen can take care of their own health to ensure health and well-being of the population in the region.

The second is about the resilient health system. Some of the countries are far ahead and some of the countries need to move forward. I would like to accompany member states’ efforts towards a resilient health system which is based on primary health care that includes preparedness, primary prevention, and treatment of NCDs and is right based, gender sensitive and fosters equity. Because primary health care should be the foundation of universal health coverage to achieve Health for All.

The third is about protecting people from different kinds of emergencies whether it is humanitarian emergencies like conflicts, environmental like earthquakes, or floods or kind of climate change or public health emergencies meaning any outbreaks such as recent dengue outbreaks, epidemics or pandemic like the recent Covid-19 pandemic. My goal will be to work with member states to protect people from emergencies and respond when needed.

The fourth one is about looking into the innovation and digitization of health. In the 21st century we need to be able to make best use of the new technology and innovations to improve the health services especially to those who are left behind by bringing the health closer to the people through telemedicine, mobile health, digital health and using a number of low-cost innovations for improving health services. The other aspect I can bring is the data lake using advanced technology which can provide integrated reliable data for policy and decision making.

The fifth one is about climate change and health. Climate change has adverse consequences for health. You can see recent flooding in Nepal and India, the melting of glaciers, and rising sea levels. Because of the high temperature, a number of viruses are emerging in the world. This is an important issue now. The climate crisis is contributing to the health crisis. I want to say that our Member States are also affected by this. Member States in the region have made it a priority and I would like to work with together with them to address this important priority.

What are your experiences?

After graduation, I looked for and found a job in Family Planning Association Nepal which gave me an understanding of basic public health. I had the opportunities to visit many remote parts of Nepal, interact with communities and understand their health issues and problems and that’s my basic foundation of public health and that gave me a lot of learning in terms of what do we really need to look at if we want to develop health plans or health policies or health programs and that those policies, programs should be based on the needs of the population. In my view that is the core of the public health setting. That’s my starter. I was then fascinated by the public health and then this people to people connection that I had when I visited number of communities I wanted to go and study public health and went to the US, did my PhD and then had the opportunity to work with the World Bank in the health, nutrition and population division and was able to formulate the projects and proposals for the World Bank and then I moved to the WHO. I have got several positions in WHO in wide range of public health over the period of 30 years and at the country level, regional level and also at headquarters level and the breadth of experience I have I worked as a leader, manager, technical advisor, specialist, public health officer. 

So, if I look back, my whole experience from where I started from family planning till the day today, I am here working as the Director of Country Strategy and Support under the office of the Director General Dr Tedros where I also had the opportunity to really engage in Covid-19 pandemic response and led the publication of about 70 country case studies: WHO’s response to Covid-19 pandemic. I feel like I am the best for Regional Director as I have substance experience in every aspect whether it is management, technical, leadership, diplomacy, strategic thinking and political astuteness. All these vast experiences that I have with all kinds of sets I think is something that is required for the post of regional director as well. That’s why I feel I am the right candidate to be able to lead the WHO Regional Office for the South East Asia Region.

Tell us about your background.

I come from the ground. I am an ordinary Nepali. I am an ordinary citizen. When I grew up, I grew up in a village called Bhutuka in Palpa district in western Nepal. There I went to high school. I used to walk 45 minutes one way to go to school and we went there in slippers. Sometimes there was rain. I was scared of getting my slippers torn so I used to put my slippers on my shoulders and walk to school barefoot. Those days there were no health care centers there. So, I understand the challenges that people face, particularly those who don’t have that facility and those who are left behind and those who don’t have access to the health services. What goes on with them? That’s what motivates me to lead the regional office. I am a very humble person, but I am assertive in terms of programs, and I have worked for 30 years, and I have about 25 years I think supervisory work. In the last 25 years my management style, my leadership style has always been appreciated as a humble and assertive leader/manager somebody who really brings team together, somebody who really empowers team, works together and somebody who doesn’t believe in hierarchy and somebody who really appreciates or encourages or fosters free thinking to bring innovative ideas. I am someone of a farmer and from a middle-class family.

Even now I am like everyone else. I don’t see any difference. To be able to lead we must always be connected to the ground with people. So, whatever I do, whenever I am in a position I always like to get connected with people because that’s the only way we understand what the needs are and how we can respond to the needs. Even if I am in Geneva right now, I want to connect with people. As Director of Country strategy and Support overseeing 152 WHO country offices on behalf of the director general. I get connected regularly with country team whether I have any agenda or not. Even if I don’t have agenda, I try to contact them and just to understand how things are, are there any issues, any problems how the country office is dealing with the Member States and what are the issues and challenges of Member states and how can WHO better respond to any challenges. That’s the kind of person I am. I am a kind of people’s person.

How will Nepal benefit from the position?

At this stage, I don’t think I can say anything Nepal can benefit but the region will benefit as a who because I can bring my knowledge, my expertise, my competencies based on my national, regional, global experience into the region, and I think I am probably the one of few who has this kind of broad three level experience. The second is about what I want once I am the regional director. I want to bring three levels of WHO together as one organization to make sure that the headquarters’ capacity, region’s capacity and country’s capacity together can synergistically better respond to the needs of the Member States.

Third is about my association of different global partners, donors. I would see that the resources in the health sector require more documentation or enhancement, something that I can help to the region. Mostly these regions have done fairly well in health, but I think the domestic investment can still be improved for health. So, I would work with member states in the region to encourage them to increase domestic investment at the same time where there are gaps, I will bring the international community, different bilateral, multilateral agencies as well as funds of foundation to fill in the gaps.

I believe I can better draw the strategy and plans of the regional office for the next five years together with the Member States by learning or listening to the Member States’ needs. I will be able to bring much robust strategies that can be effectively supporting the Member States in the region and I being a Nepali will keep Nepal in my heart and to see what I can add value being a regional direction during my tenure.