Covid19

BNMT has responded to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic with a range of interventions addressing different aspects of the national epidemic. In addition to rapidly providing direct emergency support to health services and affected communities, we have initiated research to understand the impacts of COVID-19 over the longer term. We are conducting research into how the pandemic has affected access to and delivery of TB services through the TB READY project. We are also evaluating the impact on access to crucial sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents through our Amplify Change funded project in Sindhupalchowk district.

Our Epidemic Intelligence project, supported by the Wellcome Trust, is conducting sequencing surveillance at three sites spanning Nepal: Kathmandu (the capital city), Biratnagar (Eastern Nepal) and Nepalgunj (Western Nepal). This project will also assess the influence of repeated waves of labor migration on introduction, seeding and transmission of novel SARS CoV-2 variants, and the association of novel variants with clinical outcomes, LONG COVID and the consequences of the disease for mental health.