CBM in Nepal: Covid-19 hits hard
Covid-19, Stories | February 28, 2022
The negative impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing in Nepal from Covid-19 is significant. For people to be able to recover and re-build their livelihoods, support is needed for those most vulnerable, including communities where CBM and partners are working.
During the peak of the pandemic, increasing numbers of sick people put extra pressure on an under-resourced health system. This results in a lack of oxygen, vaccines and testing supplies, as well as staff in hospitals and clinics. In many parts of this mountainous country, hospitals are non-existent, making access to medical care extremely difficult.
When strict lockdown measures are in place they have a devastating impact on people’s health, wellbeing and livelihoods – particularly the poorest.
For the CBM team, working amidst a lockdown is an undeniable challenge requiring flexibility, adaptability and agility to respond to those most in need.
Country Director Suraj Sigdel told us: “Our partners are managing their projects with minimal movement in the field, however this time, it has become difficult as many of the staff and their family members are infected. Our Nepal team is regularly in communication with the partners [who] are observing the situation closely.”
One of these partners is SAPPROS Nepal who, with support from CBM Australia, has been part of the Covid-19 Emergency Response. They provided basic needs support, such as food, to people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups impacted by the pandemic. Nirajan, Project Manager (pictured), continues to lead his team and support the work from .
CBM Australia responded to the wave in late 2021 by re-directing funds in a Community Mental Health project in the Karnali region, using local partner skills and expertise to address the impact of the pandemic. Support included training for health workers and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in psychological first aid, stress and grief management, as well as psychological services to people in isolation centres, hospitals or home quarantine and providing for basic needs. Public service announcements over radio and via SMS provided mental health awareness and information about where to access support services.
Looking forward, CBM Australia is working with several partners to develop a new collaborative project in recognition that the recovery from this devastating crisis is far from over and will be long and difficult.
Image: Nirajan, SAPPROS Project Manager in Nepal, works from home during the Covid-19 lockdown.
CBM Australia acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) for this work.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/cbm-in-nepal-covid-19-hits-hard
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