Submit your Article

The ongoing monsoon season and subsequent flooding in many regions of Nepal are likely to cause severe outbreaks of various water- and vector-borne diseases, including dengue. According to the latest WHO statistics, Nepal recorded over 39,360 dengue cases and 20 dengue-related deaths between January and October 2023.

In Sunsari district of Koshi province, there were 16,096 dengue cases, accounting for 40.9% of the total cases. Tanahun district in Gandaki province reported 5,050 cases, which is 12.8% of the total. As of 9 June 2024, government statistics show that approximately 1,130 dengue cases were reported in 71 districts, with Kathmandu reporting the highest number of cases (114), followed by Jhapa (111). This rapid increase has overloaded the already fragile health systems in the country, highlighting the importance of enhancing Nepal’s public health preparedness and mitigation abilities.

Challenges in Nepal’s health system

The introduction of federalism in Nepal has brought both benefits and drawbacks to the country’s health systems. While there have been improvements at the local level, several shortcomings have exposed system failures. A cross-sectional study published in the Health Research Policy and Systems journal identified major issues such as a disorganized organizational structure, delays in fund releases, uneven distribution of healthcare personnel, and inadequate monitoring and supervisory capacity. The system is not fully stabilized, and it will take time to capture the full impact of federalization. Current difficulties include a lack of coordination within and between governments, program and fund duplication, untimely fund releases, underutilized funds, staffing deficits, skill mismatches, and constant problems with medicine supplies.

Lessons from the 2022 outbreak

By the end of 2022, Nepal had 55,000 people affected by dengue, with 88 fatalities, highlighting the challenges within the healthcare system. The response was inadequate, as most hospitals were overwhelmed, and community-level measures were insufficient. The WHO report noted that the timeliness of the response was not optimal, leading to a significant increase in morbidity and mortality rates. This emphasizes the crucial need for Nepal to improve its disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness, and community engagement efforts.

Addressing the challenges

Given the current situation in Nepal and the threat of a dengue outbreak, the government and relevant health agencies must work closely to strengthen the healthcare framework. This involves improving coordination between central and local governments, ensuring timely distribution of funds, and addressing the irregular distribution of health workers. Enhancing outbreak surveillance systems, vector control efforts, and implementing widespread community awareness initiatives will help prevent the impending dengue fever outbreak.

The WHO report also noted that dengue disproportionately affects different population groups within communities. Pregnant and lactating women, children, and elderly citizens are at higher risk, while young adults engaged in outdoor work face higher exposure risks. Targeted interventions to protect these vulnerable groups are crucial. The recent incidence of dengue fever in 2023 indicates that Nepal requires a long-term and progressive commitment to reform its public health system. With the monsoon rains now affecting the nation, the challenge is to prevent an outbreak that could overwhelm the already fragile public health system.

A Saurya Airlines passenger plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people.

The plane, carrying two crew members and 17 others (15 of whom were airline technical staff), was en route to Pokhara for a comprehensive maintenance check known as a “C-check.” This inspection, conducted every 18-24 months or after a specific number of flight hours, involves a thorough examination of an aircraft’s systems, components, and structures, typically taking several weeks.

Among the deceased were four senior officers from Saurya Airlines: Sagar Acharya, Ashwin Niroula, Yagya Prasad Poudyal, and Dilip Verma. Also on board were Priza Khatiwada, wife of Saurya IT officer Manu Raj Sharma, and their four-year-old son, Adhiraj, who all perished in the crash.

The other victims were identified as Sushant Katuwal (co-pilot), Amit Man Maharjan, Sudip Lal Joshi, Sarbesh Marasini, Shyam Bindukar, Navaraj Ale, Rajaram Acharya, Uddhab Puri, Santosh Mahato, Punya Ratna Saahi, and Aref Reda, a Yemeni national. All were staff members of Saurya Airlines. The bodies were recovered by the afternoon and transported to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for postmortem examinations.

Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, the pilot, was the sole survivor. He was rescued from the wreckage and rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to his eyes but was reported to be out of danger.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aircraft (CRJ 200, Registration: 9N-AME) took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:11 am from Runway 02. Moments after takeoff, the plane veered off to the right of the runway, resulting in the crash. Eyewitness accounts and video footage on social media showed the plane catching fire upon impact.

Nepal’s aviation safety record is poor, with numerous fatal light plane and helicopter crashes over the years. The European Commission has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace due to safety concerns. Nepal’s airports are among the most challenging in the world, with runways flanked by snow-capped peaks and difficult approaches, even for experienced pilots. Rapidly changing weather conditions in the mountains add to the hazards.

The last major commercial flight accident in Nepal occurred in Jan 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed while landing in Pokhara, killing all 72 on board. This was the deadliest accident since 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed near Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board. Earlier that year, a Thai Airways flight also crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.

In 2019, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangladesh crashed at Tribhuvan airport, killing 51 people while 20 survived. An investigation confirmed that the plane was misaligned with the runway and its pilot was disoriented when the plane crashed.

In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off a slippery runway while landing in dense fog at Tribhuvan International Airport. The plane was carrying 238 people, but there were no serious injuries.

The government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash. An emergency Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening established the committee, led by former Director General of CAAN, Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. The committee includes Deepu Raj Jwarchan, operation director of Nepal Airlines Corporation; Sudip Bhattarai, head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at IOE, Pulchowk; Sanjay Adhikari, board member of Shree Airlines; and Mukesh Dangol, member secretary at Air Traffic Control, CAAN. The committee has been tasked with investigating the crash and submitting its report within 45 days.

The government also declared a day of mourning on Thursday and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast.

The Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) has said that it would take three days to conduct the postmortem of those killed in the Saurya Airlines plane crash in Kathmandu.

The bodies were taken to the Maharajgunj-based TUTH following the crash at the Tribhuvan International Teaching Hospital on Wednesday.

According to Executive Director of the hospital Dr Dinesh Kafle, the hospital’s manpower is in a ready position to conduct the autopsy.

Kafle said that the postmortem will start soon after the relatives of the deceased come to the hospital and identify the bodies.

Police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki said that some of the bodies are recognizable and some are not.

Dr Kafle informed that the bodies will be handed over to the families after examining the teeth and DNA of the bodies.

Kathmandu Valley Police Office spokesperson Dinesh Raj Mainali said: “The hospital administration will perform the autopsy after police prepare necessary documents.”

A Saurya Airlines passenger plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people.

The plane, carrying two crew members and 17 others (15 of whom were airline technical staff), was en route to Pokhara for a comprehensive maintenance check known as a “C-check.” This inspection, conducted every 18-24 months or after a specific number of flight hours, involves a thorough examination of an aircraft’s systems, components, and structures, typically taking several weeks.

Among the deceased were four senior officers from Saurya Airlines: Sagar Acharya, Ashwin Niroula, Yagya Prasad Poudyal, and Dilip Verma. Also on board were Priza Khatiwada, wife of Saurya IT officer Manu Raj Sharma, and their four-year-old son, Adhiraj, who all perished in the crash.

The other victims were identified as Sushant Katuwal (co-pilot), Amit Man Maharjan, Sudip Lal Joshi, Sarbesh Marasini, Shyam Bindukar, Navaraj Ale, Rajaram Acharya, Uddhab Puri, Santosh Mahato, Punya Ratna Saahi, and Aref Reda, a Yemeni national. All were staff members of Saurya Airlines. The bodies were recovered by the afternoon and transported to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for postmortem examinations.

Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, the pilot, was the sole survivor. He was rescued from the wreckage and rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to his eyes but was reported to be out of danger.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aircraft (CRJ 200, Registration: 9N-AME) took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:11 am from Runway 02. Moments after takeoff, the plane veered off to the right of the runway, resulting in the crash. Eyewitness accounts and video footage on social media showed the plane catching fire upon impact.

After receiving briefings from intra-party departments, newly elected Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arzu Rana Deuba, has begun her work. Her immediate task upon taking office was to facilitate the return of Nepali students from Bangladesh, where violence erupted following nationwide protests by students demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs.

On Wednesday, Minister Deuba appeared before the parliamentary committee on International Relations and Tourism, where she faced a broad range of questions on foreign policy, including China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI, China’s flagship program unveiled by Xi Jinping in 2018, has once again become a focal point in both domestic and foreign policy with the formation of the new government under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Minister Deuba informed the parliamentary committee that although the broad agreement on the BRI was signed in 2017, discussions on its implementation plan have only just begun. She said key details such as the project modality, loans, and specific projects are still to be finalized. She emphasized that any agreement must undergo broader discussion before signing, citing the extensive debate on the US’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Parliament as a precedent.

Minister Deuba further stated that the debate should not be confined to a few ministries but should include input from a wider section of stakeholders. The first phase will involve discussions within the government, with the Parliamentary committee being informed subsequently. She reassured that the broad agreement poses no threat, as it is an overarching document, and emphasized the need for collective input on how to proceed with the BRI.

This is Minister Deuba’s first statement on the BRI. China has long pressed for the signing of the BRI implementation plan. The previous government, led by CPN (Maoist Center), was prepared to sign the document, but it was canceled at the last minute by then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sought permission to sign the document, Dahal did not grant consent.

It was widely reported that the document was not signed due to disagreements over loan terms. However, former Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha later clarified that the implementation plan does not mention the investment modality. He added that the issues of investment would be addressed in a separate project implementation plan to be signed after the implementation plan.

Political parties are divided over China’s BRI. The CPN-UML and other communist parties advocate for progress on the BRI and are open to taking soft loans if necessary. The Nepali Congress, a key coalition partner, has officially decided to accept only grants, not loans, under the BRI. However, the BRI’s investment modality involves joint investments in specific projects, with China potentially providing some concessions.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in his congratulatory message to Prime Minister Oli, expressed his desire to implement the understandings reached between top leaders of the two countries and to promote collaboration under the China-Nepal Belt and Road Cooperation, as well as in other areas. While major parties have similar positions on the BRI, some adopt a softer stance for public posturing. 

In Nepal, the BRI is often perceived as a loan to finance development infrastructure. Recently, China has advised Nepali politicians to select smaller projects under this initiative instead of large, financially viable ones.