Britain-Nepal Medical Trust - www.britainnepalmedicaltrust.org.uk

The BNMT aims to assist the people of Nepal to improve their health. It does this by working in partnership with the Ministry of Health, international and local non-governmental organisations, local committees and communities to establish and maintain sustainable basic health services. BNMT supports four health components:

• Treatment and prevention of infectious diseases (acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, kala-azar and Japanese encephalitis).
• Reproductive health and safe motherhood.
• Quality care for and prevention of TB, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.
• Sustainable supplies of essential drugs.

The BNMT was originally founded in 1969 with one clinic run by ex-patriate doctors. It has developed to meet the changing demands it has encountered over the past 36 years, and its work now covers the whole of Eastern Nepal.

It is recognised as a pioneer in the provision of essential drugs, in terms of procurement, supply, prescribing, cost sharing and local governance. It has played a significant role in the establishment of the National TB Centre, helped develop national policies and strategies and is currently supporting the implementation of these policies at regional and district levels. Through the implementation of its Community Health and Development Programme it has also been involved with reproductive health and motherhood, the control of diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections.

Since 2003 BNMT has moved from running three separate programmes to an integrated health improvement programme which focuses on four key health areas, namely:

• TB and HIV/AIDS,
• reproductive health,
• locally endemic infectious diseases
• essential drugs.

Each of BNMT’s current programmes works in direct partnership with the Government and communities by a process of mutual planning, development and implementation. At community level BNMT works with partners, including community groups, using participatory approaches designed to foster community empowerment. During community health initiatives BNMT facilitators help groups to define their health issues and to develop plans that the community can implement. These programmes appear to be acceptable to both sides in the current armed political conflict.

BNMT has always tried to ensure that its services and programmes are accessible to all members of the community. However, in an unequal society people are still unable to access health services for reasons of caste, extreme poverty and gender inequality. BNMT is therefore committed to exploring new and more effective ways of increasing access to services by the poorest and most marginalised peoples. A key programme objective is empowering communities to realise their right to health.

Since 1987 the Everest Marathon Fund has:

• provided drugs for both Taplejung and Khotang and purchased special scales for weighing drugs;
• built TB hostels in Dhankuta and Ilam;
• provided £1,500 to complete a new hostel in Khandbari and money to repair the TB hostels in Taplejung and Dhankuta;
• contributed £18,000 towards the purchase of two Toyota Land Cruisers to transport drugs and staff involved in the training programmes;
• paid for several motor bikes and some office equipment.

The money raised by the 2005 race will be used to buy another motor bike (to enable staff to reach the remoter clinics) and two liquid crystal display screens which will be used for showing power point training presentations.