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Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n The Paediatric Research Unit under the Department of Paediatrics of Patan hospital was founded in 2005 and has been working in close collaboration with University of Oxford, Ministry of Health & Population (MOHP) and Child Health Division (CHD).<\/p>\n The main aim of the research unit is to study the important aspects of child health especially vaccine preventable diseases and produce robust information and generate local data for Nepal.<\/p>\n Over the past 15 years, the unit has conducted several collaborative researches with international collaborators (University of Oxford, WHO, University of Otago, John Hopkins, IVAC, Gavi, Nepal Paediatric Society), presented at different national and international conferences and published many scientific papers in national and international journals.<\/p>\n Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n The Paediatric Research Unit started with the surveillance of the Paediatric invasive bacterial diseases in Patan hospital, which is still ongoing with support from WHO and generating information on the infectious diseases, its prevalence and distribution.<\/p>\n Studies looking at the nasopharyngeal carriage of\u00a0<\/span>Hemophilus Influenzae B<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Hib), as an indirect marker of the Hib disease burden among Nepali children, were conducted before the Hib vaccine was introduced in the country; and the information was shared with the MOHP and CHD.<\/p>\n Similarly the information on Pnemococcal disease burden and serotype distribution among the Nepali children and the effective pneumococcal vaccine schedule were collected through different studies\/ researches conducted by the unit. All these information were valuable for the country\u2019s policy decision on vaccine introduction and choice of vaccine and the schedule.<\/p>\n Over the years the unit has evolved, with the start of the PneumoNepal Project in 2014, which is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and made possible by additional partnerships with various national and international collaborators. The project started with the study of nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococcus in healthy children and children with pneumonia, and comparing the carriage data pre and post Pneomococcal vaccine introduction. After the introduction of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2015 into the Nepal\u2019s infant immunization schedule with a unique 2+1 schedule having second priming dose at 10 weeks, the unit conducted a study to evaluate the Nepal schedule. The study demonstrated its equal effectiveness to the WHO\u2019s standard PCV schedule and this was an important information to the ministry for affirmation of its decision. The PneumoNepal study is also evaluating the programmatic and economic impact of the PCV10 program in Nepal.<\/p>\n The Paediatric Research Unit has also conducted various other studies including pneumococcal transcriptomics and RSV.<\/p>\n Future plan<\/strong><\/p>\n The plan is to expand this work to include other emerging Paediatric illnesses, Nepal\u2019s infant immunization schedule and other public health priorities in Nepal.<\/p>\n World Pneumonia day 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n On the occasion of World Pneumonia day, the work of the PAHS Paediatric Research Unit was featured in the Gavi website, John Hopkins website and Oxford vaccine group page.Here are the links:<\/p>\n https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/d8e0b3221b3e\/world-immunization-week-webinar-series-10538677?e=2033ab8397<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.jhsph.edu\/ivac\/2021\/10\/04\/frontline-investigators-shrijana\/<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/OxfordVacGroup\/status\/1458702306401206274<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.gavi.org\/vaccineswork\/sickness-and-survival-pre-covid-19-nepal<\/a><\/p>\n Publications<\/strong><\/p>\n Useful Links for further information<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
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