Dr Pramod Joshi and Dr Meghnath Dhimal: Health Research Governance and NCD Implementation Research in Nepal

Seminar Overview

Dr Pramod Joshi presents Health Research Governance in Nepal

Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) is an apex body of Government of Nepal to promote and coordinate health research in Nepal.  As per mandate of NHRC Act 1991, NHRC broadly works on four areas: research regulation, evidence generation, capacity building and promoting use of evidence in policy and planning.  Any person or organization willing to conduct health research in Nepal should get ethical approval from NHRC before conduction of the study as per national ethical guidelines for health research in Nepal. The NHRC has established Ethical Review Boards (ERBs) and 65 Institutional Review Committees (IRCs) to review research proposals for ethical soundness. NHRC also periodically prioritize health research priority areas and conduct research on priority areas as per demand of Government of Nepal and health development partners. The NHRC provides trainings on proposal development, data analysis and scientific writing including training on implementation research at national and sub-national level.   Furthermore, NHRC is committed for promoting use of evidence in policy and planning through regular research communication and advocacy with relevant stakeholders. My presentation will also share on health research on indigenous people in Nepal. Finally, promoting collaboration and networking at national and international level is a key strategy for promoting high quality health research in Nepal. 

Dr Meghnath Dhimal presents Implementation research for addressing the growing burden of NCDs in Nepal

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant and growing burden in Nepal, accounting huge proportion of mortality and disability. NCDs are currently the leading cause of death in Nepal, responsible for an estimated 73% of all deaths, and their impact is increasing across all age groups, including children, adolescents, and adults. The presentation will detail the wide range of environmental, behavioral, and biological risk factors associated with NCDs, highlighting the demand for a multi-sectoral action plan for their prevention and control. To effectively address this rising burden, the crucial role of implementation research, which is gaining increasing recognition in Nepal, will be discussed. This includes evaluating intervention effectiveness and feasibility, identifying implementation barriers and facilitators, and generating local evidence to inform policy and practice. Key components such as a multisectoral approach, strengthened primary healthcare, and robust surveillance systems will also be covered. Finally, the presentation will specifically address the burden of disease in Nepal, the prevalence of common NCDs and their risk factors, and possible areas for future implementation research on NCDs in the country. Finally, this presentation will also cover how climate change is affecting health of indigenous population in Nepal.

Speakers

Dr Pramod Joshi is a Senior Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon (Arthroplasty & Arthroscopy Surgeon) & Associate Professor with more than 25 years’ experience in health sector of Nepal. Currently, he serves as Member-Secretary: Executive Chief of Nepal Health Research Council, Government of Nepal.  He is a Founder Director of Geta Hospital, Geta Medical University; Central Treasure of Nepal Medical Association; President of Nepal Orthopedic Association; Far-West Branch and Former Medical Superintendent of National Trauma Centre. He has led several health research projects as a Principal Investigator and has delivered several invited talks in Asia, Europe and United States. Beside these, he also serves as a member of several high-level steering committees and task force formed by Government of Nepal.

Dr. Meghnath Dhimal is an Environmental Health Scientist with over 20 years of research, teaching and policy formulation experience working in Nepal, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Sri-Lanka and Germany (as a guest scientist). His primary area of expertise is on environmental health with more focus on climate change and global health. Currently, he works as a Chief/Senior Research Officer at the Nepal health Research Council (NHRC). He is also an Associate Academician at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Visiting Faculty of Environmental Health at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University, Columbia University and Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, USA. He served as a contributing author of sixth assessment report of United Nation’s IPCC 2022 and also serving a commissioner at the Lancet Commission on Sustainable Health Care. He is also recipient of Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) Scientific Excellence Award 2023 and elected Fellow of International Science council (ISC) since December 2023 which is the highest honour that can be conferred on an individual by the ISC.  He has supervised several Master and PhD students from Nepal and abroad. As a result of his academic works, he has published over 400 technical reports and peer reviewed research articles in international, peer-reviewed journals including in the Lancet, BMJ, eLife and Nature. His Google Scholar citation accounts more than 74000 citation with H-index 76.  He has given more than 100 invited talks and key note presentation in Asia, Africa, Europe and USA.