By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 3: National Assembly (NA) Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina has said that all the citizens should be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the upcoming election.
Addressing an interaction programme on 'COVID-19 vaccination, risk communication and community engagement’, organised jointly by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and the World Health Organiaation (WHO), Timilsina asked political leaders to make the public aware about importance of vaccines while engaging with their constituents.

“If vaccination becomes the agenda of all parties, then we can guarantee that Nepal will achieve its national COVID-19 vaccination target earlier than the set deadline,” said Timilsina.
NA Chair Timilsina called for keeping in priority the task of declaring Nepal as fully vaccinated until the election.

“Vaccination is only way to stay away from COVID-19. Vaccinating all citizens is required for all to be safe. This will also benefit all. So, let us visit people with message of full vaccination,” he added. He said Nepal has made progress in the prevention and control of COVID-19 despite having limited resources and it has also lifted the standard of health sector by adding various medical infrastructures.

On the occasion, Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada said that children between five to 11 years of age would be vaccinated against the disease starting from next month.
Progress has been made for purchasing the vaccines for children of five to 11 years of age group, he added.
He said that a target has been set to vaccinate all people above 12 years of age within mid-May this year. He urged the parliamentarians to provide further support in helping the government attain its goal of vaccinating all population.

Minister Khatiwada said that the fight against coronavirus infection has become easier with whatever experience we have gained from the first wave to the third wave. The experience so far has provided sigh of relief that the pandemic would not inflict catastrophic damage in the days ahead, he added.
Dr. Roshan Pokharel, MoHP Secretary, said that prevention and control of COVID-19 were possible with the concerted efforts.

In his address, Dr. Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal, highlighted the UN body’s collaboration with parliamentarians at a global level.
WHO collaborates with the International Parliamentary Union and this series of meetings here in Nepal captures the spirit of mutual respect and collaboration between WHO and parliamentarians, said Dr. Pandav, adding the role of parliamentarians and parliaments is critical for societies, countries, provinces, and cities to internalise the lessons from COVID-19 and to devise remedies.
Spokesperson for the MoHP and Chief of the Health Coordination Division Dr. Sangita Kaushal Mishra delivered the welcome remarks.

Chief of Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) and Joint Spokesperson for the MoHP, Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, facilitated the programme, and moderated discussions between participants and various experts.

Senior officials from the Health Ministry and WHO, Country Office for Nepal, conducted sessions on effective risk communication and community engagement, the science behind COVID-19, national COVID-19 vaccination strategy, non-communicable diseases, and the role of elected officials in achieving nationwide COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

The MoHP and WHO had shared information on COVID-19 and its impact on the members of the provincial assemblies of Karnali and the Sudurpaschim provinces on and February 25 and 27 respectively in Surkhet and Dhangadhi.