About

TEAM

The Team currently comprises of Arya Pradhan and Abin Pradhan from Charlotte, NC, USA and Dr. Sampurna Tuladhar and Rtn. Rajesh Kayastha from Kathmandu, Nepal.

Arya Pradhan

Arya Pradhan is a Freshman at UNC Chapel Hill in NC who is passionate to learn how AI can transform the quality of lives of many people around the world. As the technical lead for eLifeLink, Arya coordinates the implementation of eLifeLink Health Camps in the remote parts of Nepal, utilizing AI health software and portable medical equipment which he procures after detail research and analysis. He collaborates directly with the Project Manager and project partners to plan the health camp implementations. Arya is responsible for compiling, analyzing data collected from health camps and summarizing his findings in a report to share with project partners for reference and follow ups.

Abin Pradhan

Abin Pradhan is the Project Manager who is primarily responsible for designing, planning and implementing the projects for the organization. He is also key to coordinating all project related activities with the implementing partners who are based in the fields in the developing country, specifically in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has many years of experience working in the telecom industry in the remote areas of Nepal, which is very useful in setting up internet communications between the remote health facilities and major hospitals in the metropolitan cities.

Sampurna Tuladhar

Dr. Sampurna M. Tuladhar is a highly qualified and experienced cardiologist based in Kathmandu, Nepal. His nonprofit Champions for Nepal Health is going to work in collaboration with our organization to implement various projects in telemedicine and cardiovascular screening in remote sites in Nepal.

Rajesh Kayastha

Rajesh K. Kayastha is a mechanical engineer specializing in material science, renewable energy and robotics who is also the past-president of Rotary Club of Kathmandu West. He is currently the Managing Director of Photon Energy Development Company, based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our organization is working with the Rotary Club to design a telemedicine project to test, monitor and manage patients with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases using highly specialized digital echocardiogram equipment.

Partners

eLifeLink is partnering with with the Champions for Nepal Health organization to enhance services provided by existing health posts and primary health centers in remote areas of Nepal by provisioning telemedicine facilities. This is a newly formed nonprofit organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal whose mission and objectives align closely with eLifeLink. In addition, eLifeLink will also partner with other well-established nonprofit organizations such as Rotary Clubs and Alumni Organizations (Examples GAA and SEBS), who have been working to enhance the quality of health care services in remote areas of Nepal. In addition, eLifeLink will conduct research on eHealth projects implemented by various international development organizations, INGOs and local NGOs in remote areas of Nepal to gain knowledge, learn from their rich and diverse experiences as well as seek opportunities to collaborate.

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Motivation

Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world. The Human Development Index (HDI) value as published in the Human Development Report 2019 ranks Nepal at 147 out of 189 countries and territories. Although this is a 52% increase in HDI value since 1990 the access to quality health services in the rural and remote areas of Nepal is far from satisfactory. Despite having more than 3800 health posts across the country the low quality of service is primarily due to severe shortage of qualified health care personnel, medical equipment, medicines and ineffective government regulation and enforcement in the health industry. Villagers in such areas are forced to walk for a few days to get to municipalities and metropolitan cities to receive quality health care service. There has also been an upsurge in the number of patients with non communicable diseases such as hypertension and lung cancer. However, there are very limited screening conducted in government run health facilities to identify it in early stages for more effective prevention of such diseases. The level of education imparted to the villagers are also far from adequate.

Non-Communicable Diseases: Prevention and Treatment Programs

Burden of disease estimates show that burden of NCDs has been steadily rising in Nepal. The premature mortality due to NCDs has risen from 51% in 2066/67 (2010) to 71% in 2075/76 (2019). The proportional mortality of NCDs is ever increasing. Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) is responsible for 30% deaths, cancer 9%, diabetes 4%, chronic respiratory diseases 10% and other NCDs 13%. Increasing life expectancy, demographic and epidemiological transition, rampant urbanization and change in the lifestyle all account to this rising burden of NCDs. The increasing disease burden is associated with decreasing quality of life, increase in DALYs and catastrophic health expenditures.

A four-year analysis of National Health Accounts (NHA) reported highest healthcare spending was on NCDs at NPR 37.73 billion. Out of Pocket (OOP) expenditure by disease and health conditions was highest for NCDs with 31% of OOP expenses (NHA, 2068/69-2071/72). Notably, on comparing the STEPS survey from 2066/67 (2008) to 2076/77 (2019), there is increase the prevalence of insufficient physical activity and increased body mass index (BMI) in adult population of the country shown in Figure below.

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