Introduction Cervical cancer is a global leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The majority of cervical cancer deaths occur in developing countries including Nepal. Though knowledge of cervical cancer is an important determinant of women’s participation in prevention and screening for cervical cancer, little is known about this topic in Nepal. This study explores the experiences of cervical cancer survivors and assesses the attitude of family and community towards it and stigma related to this disease in Bharatpur, Nepal. Methods The study design was qualitative methods involving two focus-group discussions. A total of 17 cervical cancer survivors, who have completed two years of cancer treatment were selected purposively from Chitwan. All qualitative data were transcribed and translated into English and were thematically analyzed. Results The majority of the participants had scant knowledge about cervical cancer, its causative agent, showed less cervical cancer screening, delayed healthcare-seeking behavior despite having persistent symptoms before the diagnosis. The main reasons identified for not uptaking the cervical screening methods were an embarrassment and having no symptoms at all. Most of them endured social stigma related to cervical cancer in the form of physical isolation and verbal abuse. Conclusions There is an urgent need for interventions to make women and the public aware of cervical cancer and launch effective health education campaigns, policies for cervical cancer prevention programs. This implementation can save the lives of hundreds of women and help them avoid going through all the negative experiences related to cervical cancer. More studies are required to gain the perspectives, knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of cervical cancer survivors to add to the research.

Introduction: Cancer patients are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection as they are highly immunocompromised. The patients' adherence to control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. This study assesses the KAP towards COVID-19 among the admitted cancer patients in Nepal and is first of its kind. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the 224 admitted cancer patients in B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan, Nepal, between April 20 and May 20, 2020, which was the early phase of the lockdown due to COVID-19. The study was conducted via face-to-face interviews taking optimum precautions. The research used a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, cancer-related information, 14 knowledge items, 4 attitude items, and 10 practice items. Independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were used to assess the association of knowledge with demographic characteristics. Results: The overall correct response rate of the knowledge component of the questionnaire was 79.4%. Most of the participants (89.7%) had a positive attitude towards accepting isolation if they had the COVID-19 infection. Only 4.5% reported that they had visited the crowded places recently. More than 98% of the patients were found to be compliant with the recommended preventive behaviors such as using the face mask, avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth, washing the hands more than usual, and avoiding close contact with other patients or the caretakers not using the face masks. A total of 21.9% of respondents were using the same face mask for more than 3 days. Male gender, younger age group, and higher education were the positive predictors of knowledge regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: The overwhelming majority of the cancer patients had a good knowledge of COVID-19 and maintained positive attitudes and practice towards it. When tailored health education programs are planned, age, gender, and educational status should be taken into a consideration.

Introduction Cancer is the second leading cause of death and a major public health problem in the world. This study reports the trend and burden of cancer from 1990 to 2017 along with its risk factors in Nepal. Methods This study used the database of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Diseases on cancer from Nepal to describe the most recent data available (2017) and trends by age, gender, and year from 1990 to 2017. The data are described as incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and percentage change. Results In 2017, the age-standardized cancer incidence and mortality rates were 101.8/100,000 and 86.6/100,000 respectively in Nepal. Cancer contributed to 10% of total deaths and 5.6% of total DALYs in Nepal. The most common cancers were the breast, lung, cervical, stomach and oral cavity cancers. The number of new cancer cases and deaths in Nepal have increased from 1990 to 2017 by 92% and 95% respectively. On the other hand, age-standardized incidence and mortality rates decreased by 5% and 7% respectively. The leading risk factors of cancer were tobacco use, dietary factors, unsafe sex, air pollution, drug use, and physical inactivity. Conclusions This study highlighted the burden of cancer in Nepal, contributing to a significant number of new cancer cases, deaths and DALY. A comprehensive approach including prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, and rehabilitation should be urgently taken to reduce the burden of cancer.

Nepal lacks adequate data on the prevalence of sepsis and Possible Severe Bacterial Infection (PSBI) among neonates. Thus, this systematic review was designed to estimate the prevalence of neonatal sepsis and PSBI status in Nepal. We searched PubMed and Nepal Journal Online for relevant studies on PSBI and neonatal sepsis published from 2006 to 2016. The eligibility criteria included those studies done in Nepal, evaluating the prevalence of PSBI/neonatal sepsis with denominators as the population at risk that is either total live births or total cases evaluated. Altogether, four studies met the review criteria, out of which three were hospital-based and one community-based. There is a vast difference in prevalence rate between hospital-based (2-4%) and community-based (9%) studies. Two studies used haematological scoring system and blood culture to base their diagnosis; one used signs and symptoms for PSBI while the other did not mention the diagnostic criteria. This systematic review suggests that though neonatal sepsis poses a big problem, it lacks a significant number of related studies. There is a need to conduct a nationwide survey on the prevalence of sepsis and PSBI among neonates, which will help to develop health policy.

Cancer patients are at high risk of antibiotic resistant bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs). In this study, we assessed the bacterial profile and antibiotic resistance among cancer patients suspected of UTI in B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Nepal through a cross-sectional study with routinely collected data. All cancer patients who had a recorded urine culture between July 2018–June 2019 were included in the study. Out of 308 patients who had undergone culture, 73 (24%) of samples had bacterial growth. The most common organisms isolated were E. coli (58%), Staphylococcus (11%) and Klebsiella (10%). These bacteria had undergone susceptibility testing to 27 different antibiotics in various proportions. Of the limited antibiotic testing levels, nitrofurantoin (54/66, 82%) and amikacin (30/51, 59%) were the most common. Among those tested, there were high levels of resistance to antibiotics in the “Access” and “Watch” groups of antibiotics (2019 WHO classification). In the “Reserve” group, both antibiotics showed resistance (polymyxin 15%, tigecycline 8%). Multidrug resistance was seen among 89% of the positive culture samples. This calls for urgent measures to optimize the use of antibiotics in UTI care at policy and health facility levels through stewardship to prevent further augmentation of antibiotic resistance among cancer patients.