Invited Speakers
12th Annual Conference
12th Annual Conference
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President's Message
Shreedhar Paudel, MD, MPH
The world is full of humble, caring and smart people. However, inequity, injustice and disparity also exist in the world. Until and unless a fair system is established and maintained in each and every state, the healthcare disparity will exist in the world. I believe that the passionate and humanitarian citizens around the world should be united and come forward advocating equity and justice in health care. Dream, hope, passion and volunteerism in improving the health of marginalized, neglected and disenfranchised people of any scale will have huge impacts in the lives of people in dire need. Even if we can have positive impacts on the health of a single person, that will be able to create momentum for progress. Our ultimate happiness might result from our ability in bringing smiles on the innocent faces of vulnerable people including children, mothers and senior citizens. Following the similar theme, a few of us started a journey of passion and volunteerism as Health Foundation Nepal (HFN) in the USA and Nepal, formally, in 2013. Our dream was to improve the health of the whole community, not just of an individual, through a community based innovative approach. Our passion was to be the change we wanted to inspire. Our hope was to create a ripple effect of volunteering by starting from ourselves to achieve our goal of improving the health of the entire community. The idea was amazing, but translating the idea into action was not an easy task when we started as a small group of students and trainees in 2013. However, many of our ideas have already been translated into reality because of the help and support from so many of you, members and supporters of HFN around the world.
While reflecting on the last 10 years journey of HFN, we can clearly feel the difference in the lives of thousands of people in underserved communities of Nepal we have made. Saving and improving lives of hundreds of children with severe forms of malnutrition; empowering thousands of school children with computer and health literacy programs; improving mental health of hundreds of pregnant and postpartum mothers; rescuing and transforming numerous lives of people with serious mental illness; promoting general wellbeing and mental health of lonely and neglected senior citizens; preventing deadly non-communicable diseases by identifying and treating high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney diseases and risky behaviors including smoking and alcohol use; and starting health care for neglected indigenous (Chepang) people are some of the ways HFN has been bring smiles on the innocent faces of people in Nepal. The journey of HFN to reduce the disparity, inequity and injustice in health care in Nepal has been challenging and rewarding at the same time. Without community support and the support from all the HFN members and supporters, translating the ideas into action would not have been possible. I appreciate the moral, intellectual, psychological, physical and financial support of each and every one of you in our journey as responsible global citizens to support people in need and in turn palpate our own happiness. Please bring your innovative ideas and we will work together to translate your ideas into action.
On behalf of HFN, I wish you and your family a healthy and peaceful life ahead.
Shreedhar Paudel, MD, MPH
Cofounder, founding director and President, Health Foundation Nepal
Psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Jointly with
Drona Pandeya, MSCLS, MLS, SC(ASCP)CM
Vice President, Health Foundation Nepal
Laboratory Supervisor, Clinical Pathology Laboratories
Sonic Healthcare USA
Sushrusha Arjyal, MD
Vice President, Health Foundation Nepal
Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Medicine
Ranjan Sapkota, MD, MS, MCh
Dear HFN supporters and well-wishers,
Health Foundation Nepal (HFN), registered as a non-profit organization in the USA and Nepal, has been working to advance healthcare in rural Nepal since 2013. Equity, social justice, and community participation, as well as inter-sectoral cooperation and appropriate technology, are among HFN’s guiding principles.
HFN has been implementing different projects particularly on under five child nutrition, women of reproductive age, pregnant and lactating mothers, people suffered and affected by mental health problems and non-communicable diseases, digital and health literacy, health point water supply system and health system strengthening. HFN has been implementing different health research projects in partnership and collaboration with national and international organizations.
We also have been involved in many natural disasters around Nepal to save the lives of people. In fact, it gives immense pleasure while working for the noble cause to save the lives of people. We assure to working together by improving emergency disaster response services
HFN has been working closely with the Government of Nepal, External Development Partners and local organizations.
Our Key objectives are to ensure accessibility and availability of quality health care services to individuals of all age group; provide practical solutions – which are based on scientific evidences, on health and education to promote health and well-being of the community people and generate evidences to inform public health programs and policies, with special focus on existing and emerging public health problems.
On behalf of HFN Nepal, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for every cooperation we received from our stakeholders and donor communities for their valuable support and cooperation.
Everyone deserves a long, healthy life. When you serve to Change Lives, your actions today can help extend the lives of others.
We welcome your ideas, suggestions and input and most importantly your participation. Looking forward to more partnerships!
What we have done with your help
1147
Postpartum and 280 pregnant women have been screened for Mental Health Problems.
5381
Under 5 children have been screened for Malnutrition.
5000
Calls were received by our doctors during COVID 19 second wave.
1419
People have been screened for NCD.
News and Events
Our Star Volunteers
Words from Trishna
I am glad that my first work experience was here with HFN, an organization that provides social justice to people through public health services. HFN was a great organizational placement where I along with my intern-mate engaged ourselves in the organizational activities to acquire skills to manage and administer public health services. My internship experience fostered my knowledge and practices in research activities as well.
I had great working experience that immensely contributed to the development of my leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills. At present, I am working in a project ‘Investigating the predictors of denial of abortion services and examining the consequences of unwanted pregnancy for women and their children in Nepal(2019-2023).My curriculum vitae was strong for the present job I applied only by the Internship experience in HFN and post internship job opportunity by HFN in abortion related projects.
I am delighted to have experienced a wonderful working environment in HFN and would like to acknowledge all the staffs of HFN for their regular support. Throughout every job that I get, I will always look back on my first one with HFN, because it was where my entire working career began. I owe everyone out there a “thank you”.
It was a great opportunity…
It was great opportunity for me to conduct internship in Health Foundation Nepal. I learnt a lot from meeting with people related to mental health working at ministry of health and Population (MoHP) and different hospitals, visiting field in Dang and involving into ongoing programs. The most I was impressed is communicating with beneficiaries and dedicated staff. I could get opportunity to listen directly what difficulties and needs beneficiaries have, and how staffs work and have motivation for involving in programs. Finally, I appreciate all staffs in Kathmandu and Dang office supporting and arranging this internship.
Words from Dr. Anjan
Community health has always been a passion for me. After completing my medical school at National Medical College as a government scholar, I took on a challenging role as an acting in-charge at a rural government health care center.
Health Foundation Nepal gave me that opportunity. Especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, where there was a massive shortage of health care facilities, through HFN, I got an opportunity to lead a telemedicine project for COVID patients in my home district. Initiating a telehealth project in rural Nepal for the first time was, in itself, a challenge. But the mentors and support of the HFN team provided us with guidance, at the same time giving us the autonomy to come with new initiatives. Through this experience, I have made new friends and connected with so many people across different nations. I am still a member of the HFN family. I volunteer as an expert consultant to expand telehealth services to patients with chronic non-communicable diseases, people enrolled in the mental health program, and children with malnutrition.
Our Partners
Providing financing support to help individuals build livelihoods