Healthcare & Opportunity in the Hidden Himalayas

With a shortfall of £6.5k, we have almost met our target for this life-changing project.

Healthcare and Opportunity aims to provide basic healthcare and education in the least developed area of Nepal.  Maternal and child mortality rates are some of the highest in the world (<30%).  More than 50,000 people live in the district of Humla.  The project provides education, food security, WASH, renewable energy and income generation projects to promote a healthier lifestyle and a secure future for particularly women and children.

A successful WASH program, under this project, is the Little Doctor's Program, which educates children and young people about the importance of personal hygiene.  The basic fundamentals of good oral hygiene, hand washing, nutrition and diet, first aid and wound care, diseases and sanitation, whilst promoting healthy behviours.  This knowledge is then passed on to their elders and family members, with the hope of minimising the spread of disease and illness.

In Humla, the pattern of ill health is dominated by infectious diseases, nutritional disorders, maternal and prenatal diseases.  Population groups that exhibit the highest levels of mortality, morbidity and malnutrion are women and children.  On successfully completing the Little Doctor's Program, each child, or young person is given a medical white coat and a certificate of their achievement.  The Nepal Trust have been working in this remote region of Nepal since the early nineties and have gained the reputation of being a respected INGO.  We deliver four programs per year and this is delivered by our local partners SHIP.  We are committed to delivering this programe with them until Sept 2023, when we will review the project.  Each time the program is delivered, it has a huge positive impact on the lives of the beneficiaries and their families.

We will continue to deliver the Little Doctor's Program in the remote Himalayas.  Thank you to our donors for your support.  Please do continue to support this life-changing project.

Namaste. 

Links:

• Healthcare and Opportunity in the Hidden Himalayas - donate here

Dear Friends and Supports,

The Little Doctor's Programme goes from strength to strength in the Hidden Himalayas.

One of the earliest WASH projects started by the Nepal Trust, the Little Doctor's Programme, equips young children with the knowledge and importance of personal hygiene, such as hand washing and good oral health.  Additionally they learn basics about nutrition and diet, first aid and wound care, diseases and sanitation. The children are then encouraged to share their knowledge with their family; siblings and parents, with the aim of increasing awareness, improving health and combating diseases, while at the same time helping to eradicate extreme poverty and helping reduce child mortality.

The programme gives children a sense of accomplishment and they are awarded with a doctor's white coat and a certificate on completion.  A tangible reminder of their achievement and something to be proud of.  This early education will serve the children and their families well and help to improve their personal hygiene and overall health.

We run four courses a year and are almost fully funded for 2023: again, a big, big thank you to all our donors and supporters. This is a fantastic achievement and has made a real impact on improving the quality of life of those living in the Hidden Himalayas of the Humla District, of Nepal. 

As a key component of our next 5 Year Plan, to be agreed with the Nepalese Government, we are already planning ahead and identifying a follow-up project and working in partnership with our delivery partners SHIP-Nepal and the District Health Team, who are delivering healthcare across the 8 health posts constructed and supplied by the Nepal Trust. 

Thank you for all your help and support; we hope you can continue to support our work and spread the news to all your friends and colleagues. Once we have raised sufficient funds to cover the scheduled courses for 2023 any further donations received will be ring-fenced for the 2024 programme.

Every penny you donate will go to help the people of Humla, in adapting to modern-day life.

Namaste.

This project is just £10k away from being fully funded: we are almost there - a big, big thank you. This is a fantastic achievement and has made a real impact on improving the quality of life of those living in the "Hidden Himalayas" of the Humla District in Nepal.  As a key component of our next 5 year plan, to be agreed with the Nepalese Government, we are already Planning Ahead and identifying a follow up project. 

There are many challenges working in such a remote area as Humla, but nothing more than a fact of life for the local inhabitants, who are fully adapted to the many difficulties of surviving in the high mountains.We are lucky to have an excellent delivery partner in SHIP-Nepal who, working in partnership with the District Health team are delivering healthcare across the 8 health posts constructed and supplied by the Nepal Trust.

Before the Healthcare and Opportunity programme was implemented, the Government of Nepal provided health services on a very limited basis in Humla district. When a person was sick and if they were lucky, they would be carried many miles to the district hospital. Some died on the way and some died without treatment. But this was not possible for the poor people: they had no choice but to resort to using herbal medicine according to local custom. It was customary to give birth to a child at home, putting many mothers and children at risk of life and death. People suffered from many types of diseases and there was little or no information about medical treatments. For example, before 2019 when they were sick, the people of Maspur used to walk for one day to the Maila health post and the Bajura district hospital for treatment. Since 2020, Maspur residents have started receiving health services free of cost from the Maspur health post constructed and operated with the support of this project. The accompanying pictures are all from Maspur.

More broadly regular health services are now provided in partnership with the Government of Nepal across Humla. With the financial support of this project, medicine, health equipment and health awareness programs are regularly provided through the 8 health posts from Limi to Maspur; these posts were also core to the Government's reponse in Humla to the covid-19 pandemic.

The results are clear: through the provision of regular health services, the number of patients and disease-related deaths at the community level has decreased. Overall, with the increased awareness of health and sanitation issues at community level, outbreaks of diseases and the numbers of infected people have decreased. Earlier, when everyone gave birth at home, infant mortality rates were unacceptably high. Now all mothers have the opportunity to give birth at one of the Birthing Centres developed by the Nepal Trust. With this development the health of mothers and new borns has improved with no death of mother or child reported at any of the centres.

Humla is a beautiful but very harsh and remote environment. The people, Buddhist and Hindu, have adapted over centuries but face major changes to their way of life. They have successfully managed to curb the spread of Covid but must remain alert.

Thank you for all your help and support; we hope you can continue to support our work and spread the news to all your friends and colleagues. Every penny you send will go to helping these beautiful people adapt to modern day life.

Dear Friends and Supporters

From previous reports you are well aware of the difficulties of working in such a remote area as Humla. It's a fact of life for the inhabitants  who are adapted to the many difficulties of surviving in this mountainess district. The Nepal Trust is lucky to have an excellent delivery partner in Self Help Initiative Promotion Centre Nepal (SHIP-Nepal) who are working in the 8 health posts constructed and supplied by the Nepal Trust, under the guidance of the District Health Officer.

Following are some extracts from a Field Report provided by SHIP-Nepal covering the period 2019 to 2022. It has been edited to improve readability. It will give you an indication of how successful our intervention has been in improving general health standards, particularly at a time of a global pandemic.

Background: Humla is a remote Himalayan district. The Nepal government has not been able to provide health services in all areas. The local government here is also weak. Due to public awareness and lack of finances, many people here get sick. Before this, many people died prematurely if they did not receive timely medical treatment. The average life expectancy of the people here is 50 to 60 years. With the financial support of The Nepal Trust and NDF since 2019 Self Help Initiative Promotion Center (SHIP-Nepal) Humla has been providing medicine and health services at birthing centers in Limi, Yari, Kermi, Bargaon, Sarkegad, Piplang, Tumcha and Maspur.

Through this program, to prevent the spread of the epidemic of COVID-19 at the community level, COVID-19 materials, medicine and health services were provided. This program has so far been successful in controlling the spread of COVID-19 at the community level.

Due to regular health services through birthing centers, mothers, children and the elderly did not die prematurely. At present, the local government and people are very happy with this program or donor. He says that this program is related to the survival of poor people. They have requested to continue the health program. SHIP Nepal Humla will be dedicated for successful implementation if financial support from donor agencies is continuously available.

Before the health program was implemented.

1. Before 1999 in Humla district, the government of Nepal provided health services only in limited places including the district hospital. When a person was sick, he would be carried to the district hospital. Some died on the way and some died without treatment. But this was not possible for the poor people.
2. At that time, when people were sick, they used herbal medicine according to local custom.
3. It was customary to give child birth at home unsafely and many mothers and children were at risk of life and death.
4. During that period only the Nepal Trust provided regular health services. People suffered from many types of diseases and there was little or no information about medical treatments.
5. Among the eight birthing centers currently being run by The Nepal Trust and SHIP Nepal, there was the only government health post in Sarkegad before 1999 where general medicine treatment was available.

Achievements:

1. With the financial support of Nepal Trust, regular health services were provided after the construction of health posts in Maspur, Tumcha, Piplang, Kermi and Yari. Now the Nepal government has established and recognized all health posts formal health care is provided.
2. After providing regular health services at the health post, the number of patients and deaths at the community level has decreased.
3. Since births started at the birthing centers the health of mother and child has improved and there has been no death of mother or child.This is a very important achievement.
4. Due to increased awareness of health and sanitation at the community level, outbreaks of diseases and the number of infected people have decreased. 
5. Due to increased awareness of health and sanitation at the community level, outbreaks of diseases and the number of infected people have decreased. This is very good indicator of health program.
6. Earlier, everyone gave birth at home, so there were no facilities. Now everyone gives birth at the Birthing Canter so that they get all the services provided by the government.
7. Due to the regular facilitation of SHIP- Nepal, the health management committee has coordinated with the local government and other stakeholders to continue health services at all health posts.
8. Before 2019, the peoples of Piplang used to walk for three hours to Pali health post and Loti medical for treatment when they were sick.Since 2020, Piplang residents have started receiving health services free of cost from Piplang health post.They said we are very happy. It has saved us life, money and time.
9. Before 2019, the peoples of Tumcha used to walk for four hours to Jaira health post and Sarkegad medical for treatment when they were sick.Since 2020, Tumcha residents have started receiving health services free of cost from Tumcha health post. They said we are very happy. It has saved us life, money and time.
10. Before 2019, the peoples of Maspur used to walk for one day to Maila health post and Bajura district hospital for treatment when they were sick.Since 2020, Maspur residents have started receiving health servicesfree of cost from Maspur health post. They said we are very happy. It has saved us life, money and time.
11. With the financial support of the Nepal Trust, from 2019 to 2022, medicine, health equipment and health awareness programs were regularly provided to 8 health posts from Limi to Maspur, so there was no human loss due to the covid-19 pandemic. This is the second important achievement of the health program.

We hope these brief extracts give you some feeling for the problems of living and working in Humla, a beautiful but very harsh environment. The people, Buddhist and Hindu, have adapted over centuries but suddenly face major changes to their way of life. They have successfully managed to curb the spread of Covid but must remain alert.

Thank you for all your help and support and we hope you can continue to support our work and spread the news to all your friends and colleagues. Every penny you send will go to helping these beautiful people to adapt to modern life.

Best wishes and Namaste

Dear Friends and Supporters

I hope you are all well and managing to deal with the horrendous Covid pandemic which seems to be hanging around. It is causing big disruptions in all aspects of our lives and bringing grief to many. Imagine living in one of the remotest corners of the world with only minimal health services to support you. This is, unfortunately, the reality of living in Humla in NW Nepal. For a long time its remoteness and isolation was an advantage and the virus was kept at arms length but this has changed with a serious outbreak at Kermi where we have an health clinic. A large number of infections have occured and a number of deaths although it is not yet clear if these are Covid related. Our excellent delivery partner, SHIP, will report once they have more evidence. Nationwide the government is trying to contain the virus against difficult odds. To date there has been nearly 1million confirmed cases and there has been 12000 deaths.

On the wider health front our partner SHIP continues to provide an excellent service at our 8 clinics and birthing centres - Limi, Yari, Kermi, Bargaun, Sarkegad, Piplang, Tumcha and Maspur - all operating under the watchful eye of the government and the Humla District Health Officer and local village health committees.

The main health problems are very closely related to basic unhealthy living conditions. Salmonella, gastro enteritis, worms and diarrhoea together with other food and waterborne diseases are very prevalent. Respiratory diseases such as asthma are common and a reflection of living in smoky homes. Skin and ENT infections are very common. Children under 5 years of age suffer widely from diarrhea, worms, ear infections and pneumonia. Our very popular Little Doctors health training programme for 10-15 year old school pupils was popular and very effective  in changing  and improving general health. Unfortunately, schools have been closed for 2 years and the programme has been stopped for now. We hope to start again soon. Family planning advice and support is becoming more popular and helping to reduce the problem for poor families of too many mouths to feed.

Thanks to all of you for your help and support. We hope you can stay with us as we try to navigate  difficult times. We are making a difference by spreading knowledge and help in this remote area. Tell your friends about us and try and encourage them to chip in as well. We do struggle to keep our heads above the financial pond  so any support is very welcome.

Namaste