In a new briefing released today(May 14), Amnesty International urges Nepalese lawmakers to put their differences aside and take decisive action in the next weeks to save thousands of lives as the country grapples with a devastating second wave of Covid-19.
While Nepal’s authorities have been involved in infighting, the country’s parliament has been dissolved twice in the last five months. Nepal presently has one of the highest infection rates in the world, with the country’s Ministry of Health predicting 300,000 new cases by July.With severe shortages of oxygen, ICU beds, personal protective equipment, and immunizations, Nepal’s infrastructure is already creaking under the present caseloads.
Nepal had the greatest “effective rate of reproduction” and “test positive rate” of any country in the world, according to a UN report released on May 14th. A mutated virus is exacerbating the existing crisis, leading to greater rates of mortality and extra comorbidities including pneumonia, which raises oxygen requirements. The scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines has also impeded the country’s efforts to ease the strain on the health system and stem the virus’s spread.
According to Yamini Mishra, Asia-Pacific Director of Amnesty International, Nepal is currently experiencing the same terrible circumstances as India in recent months. The country’s health-care system is on the verge of collapse, with hospitals nearing capacity and overworked, woefully under-resourced staff unable to meet demand.
The briefing, Struggling to Breathe: The Second Wave of Covid-19 in Nepal, examines the virus’ devastating impact on the country’s underfunded health system and the consequences of medicine and equipment shortages for hospital staff and Covid-19 patients. The briefing also addresses the so far inadequate response of Nepal’s authorities, and the particularly harsh impact the pandemic is having on the country’s most marginalized groups.
In recent months, Covid-19 has swiftly expanded across Nepal, infecting all seven of the country’s provinces. While public health experts feel the number of deaths is being underestimated, government records show that as of 7 June, 7,990 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in Nepal, with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasting 34,887 deaths by 1 September 2021.
Nepal, like many other South Asian countries, is suffering from a severe vaccination shortage. As of May 10, 2021, just about 2.5 million people out of Nepal’s 30 million had had even one vaccination, or less than one in ten. COVAX, a global project to help low- and middle-income nations get vaccines, is falling short of its goals, and richer countries are hoarding surplus supplies far beyond their needs.
As of 7 June, the Covid-19 situation in Nepal is changing on a daily basis, with the number of illnesses registered since mid-May 2021 appearing to be decreasing. However, as Nepal continues to deal with a large caseload dispersed across the country, the urgent requirements mentioned in this briefing remain pertinent.
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