Sagun's Blog

Early Warning Reporting System (EWARS)  is a hospital-based sentinel surveillance system currently operational in 40 hospitals throughout Nepal. EWARS is designed to complement the country’s Health Management Information System (HMIS) by providing timely reporting for the early 4 detection of selected vector-borne, water and food borne diseases with outbreak potential.  The hospital based reporting provides timely signal or alert and early detection of possible outbreak due to increased number of cases in the community leading to continuous transmission of the disease for timely response. This dynamics is lacking with HMIS being a monthly reporting system. The main objective of EWARS is to strengthen the flow of information on vector borne and other outbreak prone infectious diseases from the districts; and to facilitate prompt outbreak response to be carried out by Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) at Central, Regional and District level, which can be mobilized at short notice to suppor

Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)  is a public health problem in Nepal. Nepal conducted LF mapping in 2001  and 2005 and remapping in 2012 by using ICT (Immunochromatography Test card) which revealed  13% average prevalence of LF infection in the country, ranging from <1% to 39%. Based on the ICT  survey, morbidity reporting and geo‐ecological comparability sixty one districts of the country were  mapped as endemic for LF. The disease has been detected in different topographical areas ranging in  altitude from 300 feet above sea level in the plain terai ecological zone to 5,800 feet above sea level  in high hill areas. Comparatively, more LF cases are seen in the terai than in the hills, but valleys and  river basin areas of hilly districts have also high disease burden. The disease is more prevalent in the  rural areas of the country, predominantly affecting the poorer sector of the community.  Wuchereria  bancrofti  is the only recorded parasite in Nepal and the mosquito,  Culex.quinq