Nepali Women’s Planetary Health Camp

Siranchowk, Gorkha, Nepal 

Spring 2023

Here at Karmaflights, we are committed to supporting the vast health and educational needs of rural communities with targeted annual health camps. April 2023 will mark the 9th anniversary of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. To commemorate and remember this devastating event, each year we organize a 1-3 day health camp targeting specific rural health needs. In past health camps we have provided care for between 300 and 600 individuals per day, the majority of whom are women, many of whom have traveled significant distances on foot to attend. A large number  of our patients are earthquake survivors and, despite the time that has passed, are still very much recovering. They remain in our hearts and minds as we work towards creating a brighter future for Nepal.

What We Are Doing

The aim for the next Women’s Planetary Health Camp in Spring 2023 is to offer a comprehensive approach to health for communities in Siranchowk Rural Municipality, Gorkha District, focusing on critical needs identified during prior health camps and community-driven research. Simply put, people living and working in remote areas of Nepal do not have easy access to health care. In particular, the services provided by specialists in obstetrics, gynecology, optical and dental care have the capacity to be life changing and would not otherwise be available to people living in these rural locales. In 2023 we will focus on these critical areas:

• Women's Health - Obstetrics and gynecological consultation, sanitary supplies, family planning and reproductive health

• Nutrition & sanitation - Information sessions and posters on the importance of nutritious food and sanitation practices as the basis of our health

• Dentistry - On-site dental consultation including extraction and treatment, distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste

• Eye Screening - Optometry screening and consultation, distribution of corrective glasses.

• Psycho-social counseling - Mental health is a huge concern, as many community members suffer from PTSD. Counseling sessions will be organized in partnership with Koshish Nepal, an NGO working in the mental health sector.  

• Climate change and environment - Degraded environmental conditions are becoming worse with climate change. Information sessions will be organized to discuss how the community can adapt and address degradation.

Why it is Important

While one-off health camps cannot provide for long term needs, we have designed our events to support and strengthen rural emergency services and aid-posts. Medical services and medications are made available to attendees at no cost. Nepali doctors and specialists are compensated for their participation at-cost and rural aid-post workers (nurses and paramedics) contribute their expertise and extensive local knowledge. Importantly, health camps can serve to bring light to under-resourced health needs (such as womens' health) while also investing in capacity-building and making critical connections between rural communities and broader public health initiatives.

What is Planetary Health

Healthy Environment = Healthy People= Healthy Planet

Each year we seek to improve our Health Camps. In 2022 we worked with US-based volunteer medical professionals and University of Colorado researchers to help improve the operational efficiency of the Health Camps and identify critical health needs.

This year, through a collaboration with Duke University (USA) we are analyzing the contribution of environmental factors to health problems to adopt a comprehensive approach to community health care. It starts by understanding the underlying causes of health issues related to environmental changes such as poor nutrition, air pollution from increased traffic and changes in water quality and quantity associated with climate change.  In addition to providing free medical care, we will offer informational sessions on water and sanitation practices, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and connections to climate change. We hope to continue to build an understanding of social and environmental dynamics and how they interact with public health in a rural setting. The learnings from this important work can bring to light strategies for rural communities worldwide as we collectively confront challenges associated with a warming world.  We call this “Planetary Health”

How can you contribute?

This health camp will be supported through grassroots fundraising (that's you!), matching contributions from the local municipality, and the UK-based NEPAL-ease charity. We can't do this work without your support. Please ensure the next camp is a source of positive action and hope for the future by donating!

Can’t travel to Nepal these days? We bring Nepal to you! Experience our unique virtual photo exhibition!

We are proud to announce our first virtual photo exhibit “Faces and places of Nepal” by professional photographers Chad Aaditya, from Nepal and Tom White, photojournalist and teacher based in Singapore. They have generously offered to display their favorite photos of the people and landscapes of Nepal, exclusively to benefit the 2022 Gorkha Women’s Planetary Health Camp.

Your contribution of any amount will benefit the women of Gorkha and help us reach our target amount. Please make your contribution – from 1 USD upward – visit our exclusive exhibit, enjoy your (virtual) trip to Nepal and receive our sincere thanks for your support !