S8: Life and Health Sciences
S8: Life and Health Sciences
Provision of quality health services is essential for assuring a good health and well being of the people. Their affordability and equitable access to all segments of the population are equally important for a just society that we envision for Nepal in the 21st century. Progress in modern
medical sciences and technologies has improved the diagnoses and treatments of diseases such as various cancers and other chronic diseases. However, these advances have not always been resource friendly for Low-and-Middle Income Countries like Nepal, which continue to struggle with implementing latest practices in diagnoses and treatment of these diseases. On the other hand, many diseases, especially, the non-communicable chronic diseases, which are carrying increasing high resource burden on the society, are preventable through health promotion and policy changes in multiple sectors. The symposium aims to examine various aspects
of health care and public health in Nepal exploring the potentials for strengthening the system of health care integrating primary care, acute care, specialized care and public health.
Coordinators:
Dr. Drona Rasali is Director, Population Health Surveillance & Epidemiology at the British Columbia Government’s Provincial Health Services Authority in Canada since 2012. He served as Provincial Chronic Disease Epidemiologist with the Saskatchewan Government Ministry of Health from 2005 to 2012. He served as Government Veterinarian/ Senior Scientist in Nepal between 1980 and 1999. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia since July 2020 and at the University of Regina from 2009 to 2019. He is currently the chair of Canadian Alliance for Regional Risk Factor Surveillance (CARRFS). He earned his PhD from the University of Manitoba, Canada. He is widely published in wide range of fields including public health, animal genetics, veterinary and life sciences.
Dr. Rasali was elected as the Deputy Regional Coordinator (Americas) in the Non-Resident Nepali Association International Coordination Committee (NRNA-ICC), 2009-1011 and also was the Advisor to the NRNA-ICC, 2011-2013.
Dr Archana Amatya is an Obstetrician & Gynecologist and a Public Health specialist. Her main interests are Reproductive Health & Maternal and Newborn Health. She has been working in this arena for two decades. She was working with the Institute for Medicine for 20 years, at present is the senior Technical Advisor at Save The Children, Nepal.
Dr Saroj Niraula is a Medical Oncologist at Cancer Care Manitoba, an Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Manitoba, and a Scientist at the research institute of oncology and hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba. His clinical practice primarily involves treatment of solid organ malignancies at Cancer Care Manitoba where he also chairs the provincial breast disease site group. His research interests include cancer policy, clinical trial methods, global oncology, and cancer drug regulation. Dr Niraula oversees the review and approval of new cancer drug in Manitoba and has published extensively in high-impact peer reviewed medical journals. Dr Niraula’s efforts in cancer research and contributions to the international community have earned him significant recognitions such as Merit Awards from the American and European Societies of Medical Oncology, Young Investigator Awards, Manitoba future 40 below 40, and top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award. In addition to training new generation of Canadian Oncologists, he has actively volunteered to mentor many cancer doctors from low-and-middle-income countries via different forums.
Session Chair:
Dr. Sudha Sharma is former Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal. She a public health expert, an obstetrician gynecologist with major experiences in Policy, Governance, Health Systems and Quality of Health Care.
She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, UK and holds a master’s degree in Public Health. She is also the Past Presidents of Nepal Medical Association, Nepal Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, South Asian Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Chair of Education Committee of the Asia Oceana Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
She has served as advisor to various UN agencies, WHO and international NGOs. and held important positions including Professor and Director of Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Kathmandu.
More recently she served as Chief of Health and Nutrition in UNICEF Tanzania and Chair of the Development Partners Group and contributed to develop Health Sector Strategic Plan, National Nutrition Strategy, Big Results Now initiative and Investment case for GFF, among many others.
She is working as Co-Director in CIWEC Hospital and Travel Medicine Center, andis also working as a consultant for Health Policy and Programme areas.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr Gyanendra Gongal is working as a Regional Advisor in the Department of Healthier Populations and Noncommunicable Diseases under World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South East Asia. He received Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Moscow Veterinary Academy and did MSc on Epidemiology from the Freie University of Berlin. He worked in various capacities under Ministry of Health as well as Ministry of Agriculture in Nepal for 17 years. He started international career as a WHO consultant in Maldives in 2005 and joined WHO in 2006. He received young scientist award from Nepal Academy for Science and Technology in 1999 and WHO Reward for Excellence in 2016. He has been involved in developing regional strategy, guidelines and policy papers. He has attended more than 280 national and international meetings and workshops and published more than 60 technical papers. He is a peer reviewer for 18 international journals.
Dr Simon B Sutcliffe is a clinical oncologist (1970-2009), having been President & CEO of the BC Cancer Agency (2000- 2009) and President & CEO of the Princess Margaret Hospital/Ontario Cancer Institute (1994-1996).He was a staff oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency ( 1996-2009), and a staff oncologist and senior scientist at Princess Margaret Hospital /Ontario Cancer Institute (1982-96).
Board appointments include Premier Diversified Holdings (including Premier Diagnostics Centre/INITIO Medical Innovations), Omnitura Inc., QuBiologics Inc., the International Cancer Control Congress Association, Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration – INCTR Canada, Bold Therapeutics, InspireHealth, the Institute for Health Systems Transformation and Sustainability (2010-2016); the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC, 2009-2012), the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR, 2000-7), and Genome BC (2000-2008).
He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor (UBC) and an Associate Scientist (BC Cancer Agency), and has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth 50th Jubilee Gold Medal (2003), the Terry Fox Award of the BC Medical Association (2009), and the LifeSciences B.C. Dr. Don Rix Award (2015).
Dr Sutcliffe graduated in medicine with honours in 1970 (St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Univ. of London), and obtained his Doctoral thesis (MD, Univ.of London) in 1979.
Dr Sutcliffe has published extensively in the areas of radiation and medical oncology as applied to the treatment of lymphoma, leukemia, bone marrow transplantation, endocrine malignancies, fertility and gonadal function in cancer patients, cellular immuno-deficiency and immuno-modulation in cancer, and national and global cancer control.
Prof A. Basseer Jeeawody has made a distinguished contribution to the field of emotional well-being encompassing Health, Mental Health, Psychology, Psychosocial Health, Education, Management, and Diversity. He is the Founder, President Emeritus, and Guardian of the Emotional Well-being Institute (EWBI) registered in Geneva. His career reflects over 35 years in operational leadership in centralised and decentralised international organisations. He is recognised as a creative leader, strategist, maximiser, and a driver. He has a PhD in Mental Health (Australia), a Master’s in education (Australia), BA (Hons) Psychology (UK), Diploma in Health (UK). He has worked at Professorial and Dean (International programs in Health) levels, and Foundation Director’s positions in healthcare sectors in the UK and Australia; Foundation National Director of the Djirruwang Mental Health strategic program for Indigenous Australians; Foundation Director of Professional Development Centre (UK); Director of Rural Health Training Unit (Australia); Foundation President of Multicultural Council (Australia); and an Advisory Board member to various Government and Non-Government bodies.
Invited Speakers:
Dr Md Khurshid Alam Hyder has been working as Public Health Administrator in WHO Country Office Nepal overseeing NCDs, Mental Health, Health Systems, RMNCAH, Environmental Health, WASH and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.
He has long experiences working in Communicable Diseases as well and served in the MoH&FW Government of Bangladesh over 20 years prior joining WHO. Currently working with WHO over 13 years including in WHO/South East Asia Regional Office in Delhi.
Dr Hyder is a Medical graduate with Masters in Public Health and having Ph.D in Medical Microbiology.
Prof Dr Abhianav Baidhya
Dr Abhinav Vaidya is Professor of Community Medicine at Kathmandu Medical College. He holds bachelor’s degree in medicine from Bangladesh, MD in Community Medicine from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Nepal, and PhD in Medical Sciences from Gothenburg University, Sweden.
He has been involved in NCD-related research, academics, policy-development, projects, advocacy, and health promotion. He is the Principal Investigator of NIH-Funded bRISK Project that aim to build research capacity for prevention and control of NCD risk factors in Nepal. He is a Lown Scholar in cardiovascular Health at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. He functions as the Member Secretary of Nepal NCD Alliance, and as a National Commissioner for Lancet-commissioned NCDI Poverty Commission. He was Thematic Committee Member of Nepal’s Multisectoral Action Plan for prevention and control of NCDs, Technical Committee Member of WHO STEPs surveys, and NCD PEN Package.
He is Secretary of Association of Health Profession Educationists of Nepal. He is a Board Member of Nepal Public Health Foundation. He is currently Senior Vice-president of Nepalese Society of Community Medicine.
Dr Phanindra Prasad Baral is a Senior Consultant Medical Generalist. He is the Chief of Non-communicable Disease and Mental Health Section of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal. He completed his MBBS and MD (General Practice) from Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. He has been working under the Government of Nepal since 2007 A.D. He worked as a Medical Officer in various health institutions of Nepal. He worked as a Medical Superintendent and District Health Officer in various District Hospitals and District Health Offices. For the past 2 years, he has been leading the Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Section of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division; aiding with the formation of policies and strategies for prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health. He also co-ordinates the implementation of programs related to NCD and Mental Health throughout the country.
Dr Rajesh Gongal is the Founding President of Hospice Nepal. He is a Rector and Professor of Surgery at Patan Academy of Health Sciences. He is also the Founding President of Nepal Ambulance Service and Primary Trauma Care Nepal.
Dr Om Rajbhandari is Immediate Past President in Nepal Ambulance Service and Second Vice President in Rotary Club of Kasthamandap. He is affiliated with various national and international institutions. He is an Executive Chairman of the Brihat Group developing various housing projects. Being an enthusiastic entrepreneur, he has been passionately mentoring startups and helping their business grow into new levels. He received honorary Doctorate from the European International University.
Dr Biraj Karmacharya is Director, Public Health and Community Programs, and Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health at Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. He obtained MBBS from Kathmandu University and PhD degree from the University of Washington in Seattle (USA). Dr Karmacharya was the founding member, and he has been leading the Department of Community Programs since 2006. He also leads the Nepal Technology Innovation Center at Kathmandu University, a platform for bringing academia and industries together for rural development. Dr Karmacharya is engaged in developing and setting up innovative community-based health and integrated health and development programs in rural settings in Nepal.
Prof Dr Anjana Singh is Academician, Nepal Academy of Science & Technology and Professor of Microbiology, Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She held Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Virginia (UVa), USA. She received MSc from TU, a PhD degree from School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and Post-Doctoral from Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, UVa. She has focused on research works related microbiological works on water, infectious diseases, and plant growth promotional effects. She demonstrated her leadership skills by setting up teaching and research at the Central Department of Microbiology, Kirtipur, Nepal, she held this position for 8 years. She was an executive committee member of Board of Studies of South Asian University, New Delhi, India. She has been honoured with 12 prestigious awards and published: 58 in peer reviewed journals, 3 books, 25 book chapters, 27 Conference Proceedings. She has supervised/supervising 9 PhD students and 103 MSc Research students.
Dr Krishna Kaphle is “One Health” educator and campaigner based in Nepal. He is an Associate Professor and Executive Director of Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Tribhuvan University (TU). With a strong background of sustainable veterinary medicine, he sees that the problems and hurdles of Nepal in the pursuit of majority SDGs 2030 have to be integrated and adopted in practices. Local action of global issues through collective community transformation are in his opinion the approach to be adopted. The VTH of IAAS based at Sidharthanagar-1, Lumbini serves as the referral centre animal healthcare of Western Nepal. Mid hills of Nepal have seen some drastic changes in the last couple decades, major human activity to abandonment, overtaking of farmlands and settlements by wilderness and now possible attempts to reutilize poses great challenge and threats. Mitigating strategies to manage wildlife human conflict is ongoing on a serious level and now increased anthropogenic activities by foreign returned youths in agricultural activities presents serious concern for One Health issue.
Dr Krishna B. Thapa, is a specialist of learning disabilities and practitioner of speech therapy, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and Autism. His research focuses on the assessment of speech-language impairments and dyslexia among children including development of standardized tests. He has been teaching the postgraduate students in Tribhuvan University as Special Needs Education Teacher from 2016. Alongside his professional career, he is also a social activist, leading some educational, social and community institutions/organizations. He held a post of General Secretary of NRNA National Coordination Committee, Greece from 2013-2015 and was also one of its founding members.
Organizer
