Infectious diseases in Nepal

The primary goal of OUCRU-Nepal is improving public health in Nepal and South Asia, focusing on typhoid, antimicrobial resistance, and dengue increase linked with climate change. Over the recent years, the TCV typhoid vaccine trial emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and working with policymakers. OUCRU-Nepal has built strong hospital and community relationships, boosting global visibility and collaborations.

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Dr Abhilasha Karkey’s current research focus is on antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative pathogens (Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter spp) with a specific focus on the enteric pathogens Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi A. She leads research studies focusing on the surveillance of resistant pathogens and works in close collaboration with hospitals to devise appropriate antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection prevention-control (IPC) programmes.

Of specific interest for her are the enteric fever pathogens, Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi. In addition to monitoring the resistance in these pathogens, she is working towards the elimination of enteric fever in Nepal: could this be a case study for the elimination of other similar infectious diseases?

Career and achievements

Dr Karkey started her career with the French section of a non-profit organisation Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. She has a decade of experience working with MSF, managing infectious diseases, often in conflict areas all over Africa and Asia.

She has extensive experience in setting up field diagnostic laboratories and blood banks. On completion of her master’s degree in medical microbiology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, she returned to Nepal and started her career with OUCRU Nepal as a researcher and simultaneously enrolled for a DPhil degree with the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. She won the prestigious NDM graduate prize for her thesis, which she completed in 2012.

She currently sits on the boards of the Fleming Fund Technical Advisory Groupand the WHO’s Expert Working Group on Enteric Fever. She is also part of Wellcome’s inclusive research design practices (IRDP) project as part of the expert advisory group.