Browsing by Author "Paudel, Sudip"
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Publication National Summit of Health and Population Scientists in Nepal : Achievements and Lesson Learned Over a Decade(Nepal Health Research Council, 2025) Ghimire, Namita; Ghimire, Upama; Regmi, Riya; Marasini, Bishnu Prasad; Paudel, Sudip; Dhimal, Meghnath; Joshi, PramodAbstract: For the past eleven years, Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) has been organising an annual event: National Summit of Health and Population Scientists in Nepal. This has become the leading platform for connecting research, policy, and practice in the country. Since its inception in 2015, it has evolved with changing public health needs, national reforms, and global priorities such as evidence-based decision making, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), federalisation, resilience, equity, population, and climate change. In 2015, the NHRC welcomed 500 participants and delegates. Over the past eleven years, annual participation has consistently exceeded 1,000 attendees. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) period, more than 10,000 individuals joined virtually. The NHRC has strengthened multi-sector collaboration, expanded partnerships, and developed the event as a key policy dialogue platform for translating research into action. Key achievements include shaping national policy discourse, promoting a culture of evidence-informed decision making, research excellence through competitive awards, generating more than 1,600 research presentations, and publishing scientific evidence during public health emergencies. It also highlighted the visibility of the NHRC and its role in promoting evidence in practice. However, challenges persist in ensuring systematic follow?up, effective translation of evidence into policy and practice, and deeper engagement of provincial governments and communities. This article reviews the evolution of the summit, its achievements, and policy influence, and identifies opportunities to further strengthen its impact.Publication Unintended Consequences: A Critical Analysis of Nepals Rape Law Reform and Its Impact on Juvenile Justice(Nepal Health Research Council, 2024) Atreya, Alok; Acharya, Apurba; Paudel, Sudip; Nepal, SamataThe increase of the age of consent to 18, with the Muluki Penal Code that came into effect in 2017, created an unintended burden on the juvenile justice system in Nepal. The amendment, drafted to protect minors from sexual exploitation by adults, resulted in the criminalisation of consensual relationships between adolescents. The surge of inmates aged 16 to 18 years is leading Nepal into a crisis in its juvenile correction centres, with overcrowded facilities, decrepit conditions, and increased violence. This crisis was underlined by three deaths in juvenile correction centres at Bhaktapur, Parsa, and Banke up to September 2023. This article explores the legal, social, and ethical dilemmas generated by Nepal's reforms of rape law and advocates for a more nuanced approach in safeguarding vulnerable populations without moralising normal adolescent sexual conduct. This approach is based on the consideration of pending challenges for the juvenile justice system and the development of strategies to reconcile child protection goals with the realities of adolescents' relationships. Keywords: Informed consent; juvenile delinquency; Nepal; rape.Publication Youth Suicide in Nepal: A Growing Concern(Nepal Health Research Council, 2024) Paudel, Sudip; Atreya, AlokIn Nepal, suicidal behaviour among adolescents is a growing concern, and the country has been in the grip of a major mental health disaster for many years. The issue must be addressed immediately, and there must be urgent and concerted action by state institutions, healthcare practitioners, and society. Official statistics show the increased rates of completed suicide, whereas those cases that attempted suicide and survived the event remain unaccounted for. The fortunate suicide victims, who were timely rescued, resuscitated, and survived; in the recent years as witnessed at a tertiary hospital in the western region of Nepal, depict a grim picture of suicidality among youths, particularly among teenagers and young adults. The authors recognize the urgent need to tackle and address the problem of youth suicide in the country. Keywords: Cultural factors; mental health crisis; Nepal; risk-taking behaviour; suicide prevention.