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Smoking is a bigger killer in Nepal than in any other South Asian country, according to a new research published today by the Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI).  The research shows that over 37,000 Nepalis died from smoking in 2019 – that’s nearly one in five (19.4%) of all deaths, twice the rate in 1990 and well ahead of India where just 13.1% of deaths are caused by tobacco. And the rate of death from tobacco has increased more in Nepal in the last 30 years than in any other country in the world.  According to the NDRI’s new report Health Impact of Tobacco in Nepal, at current rates around 1.34 million Nepalis will die from smoking in the next 30 years.  Publishing the report at today’s second National Health Summit conference in Kathmandu, NDRI General Secretary Dr Jaya Gurung is asking politicians of all parties to recognize the scale of this slow-burn health crisis by pledging to take action to stem the tide of deaths.  Dr Gurung said: “This research should be a wake-up call for us. Far too many Nepalis are dying every year because of smoking. We are becoming an outlier in South Asia and around the world, and that should shame us into action.  Every death from smoking is an avoidable tragedy. But in Nepal, we could be doing so much more to lower the numbers of dead. That’s why we’re calling on all politicians to show they understand the scale of this problem and pledge to do something about it.”  NDRI, together with the Nepal Cancer Relief Society, the National Medical Association, Annuapurna Media Network and Yuwa, are calling for politicians commit to tackling tobacco. The coalition has a four-point plan to stop Nepal’s smoking epidemic in its tracks. It is asking politicians to sign a pledge to:  • Match the levels of tobacco taxation in India by 2025

Nepal reported 59 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 753 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 25 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 129 people underwent antigen tests, of which 34 were tested positive. The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 161 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 1, 830 active cases in the country.  

Annapurna Post, Nepal’s leading daily newspaper, has been awarded with the Press Council Code of Conduct Award. The Council has awarded Annapurna Post’s special correspondent Surendra Kafle with the Sashakta Lekhan Award. According to a statement issued after the decision of the board meeting of the Council, e-Kagaj Editor-in-Chief Hari Bahadur Thapa will be awarded with Gopaldas Journalism Award. Similarly, Madhav Bidhrohi and Awaj FM have received the Surendra Bahadur Basnet Journalism Award and Code of Conduct Award respectively. The meeting has decided to award Dil Bahadur Chantyal, Nawaraj Chatkuli and Bal Krishna Adhikari with the Sashakta Lekhan Award, the statement read. Tek Raj Thami has been awarded with the Bhasagat Journalism Award, Damodar Prasad Dawadi, Manoj GC, Suresh Dhami, Bimal Yogi, Shyam Nath Kunwar, Bhupraj Khadka, Pushkar Budhathoki, Ekraj Pathak, Krishna KC and Nakul Aryal have been awarded with the Active Journalism Award. Likewise, Pradeep Pariyar, Rabindra Kafle, Sambhu Dangal, Haribol Acharya, Jeevan Lama, Tapendra Karki, Dashrath Ghimire, Keshar Roka, Makar Shrestha, Khagendra Bhandari, DB Budha, Rajendra Dhami, Mahesh KC and Hima Chemjong will be awarded with the Youth Journalism Award. The Council will hand over the award on its 53rd anniversary in the presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Thursday.

The death toll in the Achham landslide has reached 22. One is still missing. Security personnel with the help of locals retrieved bodies of 22 people who were buried to death in the landslide that occurred in the district on Friday night. The deceased have been identified as Netra Bahadur Shahi (45) of Turmakhand Rural Municipality-5, his wife Manisha Devi Shahi (35), daughter Bimala Shahi (17) and niece Janaki Janaki Shahi (16). Similarly, Rit Bahadur Shahi of the same place, his daughter-in-law Bhawana Shai (23), Kalpana Shahi (20), Sundar Shahi (12), granddaughter Karishma Shahi (3) and Melina Shahi (1) also lost their lives in the incident. Rit Bahadur’s wife Gaura and two sons are in India. DSP Narayan Dangi of the District Police Office, Achham said that five members of a family of Kamalbazaar Municipality-8 were killed in the landslide. Police identified the deceased as Gambhire Damai (26), his wife Bhana Damai (23), daughters Dhikra (6), Kalpana (4) and Kali Damai (3). Likewise, three members of a single family of the same municipality were also killed in the mudslide. The deceased have been identified as Sanjita Janala (22), Sarita Janala (19) and Gita (14). Similarly, Mainkala Kami (36), daughter-in-law Dhana Kami (21), son Nikhil Kami (9) and daughter Srijana Kami (15) were killed in the incident, ward Chairman Lal Bahadur Shahi said. DSP Dangi said that two-year-old Nabin Budha of Dhakari Rural Municipality-6 was also killed in the landslide. His mother Chandra Devi Budha (21), grandfather Harka Budha (62) AND Daju Dharma (12) have been airlifted to Surkhet for treatment. Moti Budha (45) of Dhakari Rural Municipality-1 has gone missing.