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🇳🇵 Nepal /Health & Science

People from 11 high JE-burden districts to be vaccinated

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Nepal will vaccinate residents of 11 high-burden districts against Japanese encephalitis in the upcoming fiscal year due to funding constraints.
  • Japanese encephalitis is a deadly mosquito-borne virus endemic to Asia, causing brain infection with a high mortality and disability rate.
  • Despite expert recommendations for wider vaccination, the government prioritizes high-risk areas with an allocated budget of Rs460 million.

Nepal plans to vaccinate residents in 11 districts with a high burden of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus in the upcoming fiscal year. This decision comes despite immunisation experts recommending vaccination for the entire at-risk population. Officials cited funding constraints as the reason for the targeted approach.

We have succeeded in convincing officials to allocate funds for vaccination in 11 districts, which have high disease burden.

— Dr Abhiyan GautamChief of the Immunisation Section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services, explaining the decision to vaccinate only in high-burden districts.

JE is a viral brain infection endemic to Asia, transmitted by mosquitoes. It belongs to the flavivirus family, which includes dengue and Zika. The World Health Organization reports that JE kills one-third of infected individuals and leaves up to half of survivors with severe lifelong disabilities. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms as there is no specific cure.

Something is better than nothing. Experts have recommended immunising the entire unvaccinated population.

— Dr Abhiyan GautamAcknowledging the limitations of the current vaccination plan compared to expert recommendations.

In 2025, Nepal recorded 41 deaths and 141 infections from JE, marking the highest levels in recent years. The virus has spread across 117 local units in over 45 districts, with half of the affected districts being in hill regions. In 2024, 23 people died from JE, including one in Kathmandu Valley, and over 80 were infected.

We have recommended inoculating the entire unvaccinated population against JE.

— Dr Ramesh Kanta AdhikariChair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, stating the committee's advice to the government.

Immunisation experts and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee have urged the government to inoculate the entire unvaccinated population. Dr. Ramesh Kanta Adhikari, chair of the committee, stated that while the 11 high-burden districts are being prioritized, nationwide vaccination requires substantial funding. The selected districts, likely Chitwan, Kailali, Tanahun, Dang, Jhapa, Kapilvastu, Morang, Rupendehi, Sunsari, Rautahat, and Sarlahi, have recorded the highest morbidity and mortality rates. The government has allocated Rs460 million for the vaccination program.

The 11 districts having high disease burden and high mortality rate might have been chosen first, as launching vaccination nationwide costs a huge amount of money.

— Dr Ramesh Kanta AdhikariExplaining the rationale behind prioritizing specific districts for the vaccination campaign.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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