Prevalence of viral load suppression and acquired drug resistance among people living with HIV in Nepal: a nationally representative surveillance study.

Objectives: This is the first nationally representative study to estimate the prevalence of viral load (VL) suppression and acquired HIV drug resistance (ADR) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 1418 PLHIV from 20 ART centres in Nepal, using a two-stage cluster design. Participants were eligible if they were HIV-positive individuals on ART for 9-15 months or at least 48 months.

Non-exploitative human disturbance provides shelter for prey from predator.

Human activities can influence behaviors of predators and prey, as well as predator-prey interactions. Using camera trap data, we investigated whether or to what extent human activities influenced behaviors of predators (tigers and leopards) and prey (sambar deer, spotted deer, wild boar, and barking deer), and predator-prey interactions in the Barandabhar Corridor Forest (BCF), Chitwan District, Nepal. A multispecies occupancy model revealed that the presence of humans altered the conditional occupancy of both prey and predator species.

Healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes towards sterilization and reuse of medical devices in primary and secondary care public hospitals in Nepal: A multi-centre cross-sectional survey.

Background: Healthcare facilities reprocess and sterilize reusable medical devices before each invasive clinical procedure, such as surgery, to prevent person-to-person or environmental transmission of pathogens through medical devices. We conducted a nationwide multi-centre cross-sectional survey in primary and secondary-care public hospitals in Nepal to assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers towards sterilization and reuse of medical devices.

Methods: We carried out a multi-centre cross-sectional survey comprising eleven primary-care (two district-level and nine district hospitals) and two secondary-care (zonal hospitals) public hospitals which covered all seven provinces of Nepal.

Quality of water for reprocessing of medical devices in healthcare facilities in Nepal.

Reusable medical devices are decontaminated and sterilized often many times by healthcare facilities across the globe. Reprocessing of medical devices comprises several processes and water plays an important role in some of these, including cleaning and steam sterilization. The water used is required to have certain qualities to ensure the effectiveness of the processes.

Compliance of primary and secondary care public hospitals with standard practices for reprocessing and steam sterilization of reusable medical devices in Nepal: findings from nation-wide multicenter clustered audits.

Background: Reusable medical devices in healthcare facilities are decontaminated and reprocessed following standard practices before each clinical procedure. Reprocessing of critical medical devices (those used for invasive clinical procedures) comprises several processes including sterilization, which provides the highest level of decontamination. Steam sterilization is the most used sterilization procedure across the globe.