Why vector-borne diseases shifting northwards is a serious public health concern in Nepal

Mosquitoes were rare in the Kathmandu valley until 20 years ago. The infection of vector-borne diseases, once thought to be limited to the lowland Terai region, has risen higher and even reached highland areas in recent years. And this is a major challenge for the nation’s public health system.

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division ( EDCD ) reports an increase in vector-borne diseases— malaria, elephantiasis, kala-azar, chikungunya, dengue, and scrub typhus—in Nepal every year as the rainy season approaches.