A long burning issue
Injuries caused by burns are a major issue in rural Nepal and prevention measures are known, but the focus in Kathmandu is almost exclusively on treatment
I knew very little about burns and the injuries they cause until I happened to interview Dr Rojina Shilpakar on my podcast about migration. That got me interested in the topic and I began researching what became this article. What strikes me most is how little quality treatment is available outside Kathmandu and how little focus is put on prevention. Apparently taking just a few simple, cheap steps could cut the number of incidents by half. Most burns victims are from economically disadvantaged groups, which may explain why no one is investing in prevention.
A version of this article appeared in Nepali Times on 14 March 2025.
It is ironic that it takes the burn injuries of high-profile figures in Nepal to spark action on an issue that affects mainly the country’s poorest.
On 15 Feb. 2025, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Pokhara Mayor…
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