Guideline

नेपालमा महामारी रोग बिफर उम्मुलन पश्चात् विस्तारित खोप आयोजनको नामबाट बि.स. २०३५ सालमा खोप सेवा प्रारम्भ भएको हो । हाल खोप सेवाले आमा र बच्चाहरूको रोगलाग्ने दर, अशक्तता हुने दर तथा मृत्यूदर घटाउन उल्लेख्य भूमिका खेलेको सर्वविदितै छ । एकातिर हामीले खोप सेवाको विस्तारसँगै यसको गुणस्तरीयता कायम गर्नु चुनौतीपूर्ण कार्य हो भने अर्कोतिर शतप्रतिशत लक्षित बालबालिकाहरूलाई खोप सेवादिनु पनि त्यतिकै आवश्यकता छ ।त्यसरी नै भ्याक्सिन उत्पादन भएदेखि सेवाग्राहीलाई सेवा दिंदासम्म यसका प्राविधिक प्रक्रियाहरू चरणबद्ध रूपमा पूरा गर्र्नु अपरिहार्य हुन आउँदछ ।  
 

The current human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection rates in Nepal are alarming with an estimated 60,000 Nepalese infected with the HIV virus, and more than 3000 people reported as having Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). About 26 % of the HIV infected are women.

Cold Chain maintenance is an essential component of every immunization programme, without which delivery of immunization services is rendered impossible. For the safe storage and transportation of vaccine, cold chain equipment is a mandatory requirement. All equipment must be able to keep vaccines safely whatever the outside temperature, and however the climate varies at different times of the year. This means it is vitally important to use well-made, reliable equipment that at the very least, meets the minimum standards determined by WHO for vaccine storage and transport.

STIs are one of the major public health problems in all countries, more so in developing countries where access to adequate diagnostic and treatment facilities are very limited or non-existent due mainly to poverty and ignorance. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are among the most common causes of illnesses in the world and have far reaching health, social and economic consequences. Timely diagnosis and treatment of STIs are important because of their magnitude, potential complications and their interaction with HIV.

Scrub typhus is an acute, febrile, infectious disease that is caused by Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi. It is also known as tsutsugamushi disease. It is an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium from the Rickettsiaceae family.

Tuberculosis is one of the most prevalent infectious disease and significant public health problem in Nepal and continues to pose serious threat to the health of the population and development of the country. Currently nearly 80,000 people have tuberculosis in Nepal, with more than 44,000 new cases arising every year. About half of these are infectious (sputum smear-positive) cases which continue the chain of transmission. The majority of TB patients belong to the economically active age groups of 15–45 years.

Nepal has entered a 'concentrated' epidemic with HIV prevalence consistently high among certain sub-populations such as injecting drug users (IDUs) and female sex workers (FSWs). The estimated number of total HIV infected persons (adult and children) for 2007 was 69,790, of which, 64,585 were adults (aged 15-49 years) and 1,857 were children (aged 0 to 14) (NCASC, 2008). By the end of 2007, HIV prevalence was estimated to be around 0.49 percent in the adult population (Ibid. 2008). While stigma and discrimination discourage people from seeking HIV testing, it is also creating an environment of fear and hesitancy among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in accessing essential care services. It is the right of PLHA to access quality treatment and care, and given that health facilities in this country are already stretched, it is crucial to take care and support services into the homes and communities of PLHA.

In Nepal an HIV case was first detected in 1988. The prevalence of HIV in adults is 0.17 percent in 2016. The National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC) has taken the lead role in lowering the rate of HIV infections throughout Nepal. HIV prevalence has reduced significantly during the last decade due to effective targeted interventions among key populations and greater enrolment in treatment. The NCASC, with technical assistance of key stakeholders, has been able to follow the “test and treat approach” to reach the global target (90-90-90).

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are among the most common causes of illnesses in the world and have far reaching health, social and economic consequences. It is estimated that after maternal causes, STI are responsible for the greatest number of healthy life years lost among women in developing countries.