Health-sector responses to address the impacts of climate change in Nepal

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Abstract
Nepal is highly vulnerable to global climate change, despite its negligible emission of global greenhousegases. The vulnerable climate-sensitive sectors identified in Nepal’s National Adaptation Programme of Action(NAPA) to Climate Change 2010 include agriculture, forestry, water, energy, public health, urbanization andinfrastructure, and climate-induced disasters. In addition, analyses carried out as part of the NAPA processhave indicated that the impacts of climate change in Nepal are not gender neutral. Vector-borne diseases,diarrhoeal diseases including cholera, malnutrition, cardiorespiratory diseases, psychological stress, andhealth effects and injuries related to extreme weather are major climate-sensitive health risks in the country.In recent years, research has been done in Nepal in order to understand the changing epidemiology ofdiseases and generate evidence for decision-making. Based on this evidence, the experience of programmemanagers, and regular surveillance data, the Government of Nepal has mainstreamed issues related toclimate change in development plans, policies and programmes. In particular, the Government of Nepal hasaddressed climate-sensitive health risks. In addition to the NAPA report, several policy documents have beenlaunched, including the Climate Change Policy 2011; the Nepal Health Sector Programme – ImplementationPlan II (NHSP-IP 2) 2010–2015; the National Health Policy 2014; the National Health Sector Strategy 2015–2020 and its implementation plan (2016–2021); and the Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP): climatechange and health strategy and action plan (2016–2020). However, the translation of these policies and plansof action into tangible action on the ground is still in its infancy in Nepal. Despite this, the health sector’sresponse to addressing the impact of climate change in Nepal may be taken as a good example for otherlow- and middle-income countries.Citation
Meghnath Dhimal, Mandira Lamichhane Dhimal, Raja Ram Pote-Shrestha, David A Groneberg & Ulrich Kuch. (2017). Health-sector responses to address the impacts of climate change in Nepal. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health, 6 (2), 9 - 14. World Health Organization. Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/329615
Journal
WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health, 6 (2): 9 - 14ISSN
2224-3151 (Print)2304-5272 (Electronic)