Selenium (Se) is an important micronutrient that plays a key role in brain development. Only a few studies have explored the associations between prenatal maternal Se concentration and motor development in early infancy. We have previously described that 36% of pregnant Nepalese women had Se concentration below the cut off of 71.1 µg/L in early pregnancy. In the current cohort study, we aimed to describe the association between maternal plasma Se concentration and infant motor development measured at 8-12 weeks of age. From a cohort of 800 Nepalese mother-infant pairs we included 711 dyads with available data on maternal Se concentration and motor development scores. Maternal Se concentration was measured in plasma samples collected within 15 weeks of gestation using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Motor development was measured by the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP). We examined the association between Se concentration and the TIMP scores in regression models adjusted for age of the mother and socioeconomic status. There was no association between maternal Se concentration and the TIMP scores (coefficient for the total TIMP score: -0.035 (95% CI: -0.105, 0.036). In conclusion, even though a considerable proportion of the women had Se concentration below the cut off of 71.1 µg/L, there were no association between maternal Se concentration and early motor development in their infants. Our findings do not support Se supplementation during pregnancy to enhance early infant motor development. However, Se may still be essential for other aspects of maternal and infant health.

This research analyzes the factors that determine the placement of development NGOs in Nepal through the examination of the placement data of 39,606 NGOs. Using multivariate ordinary least squares, this investigation demonstrates that the location of an NGO is determined by: level of community needs, resource availability, and the level of political engagement. NGOs are in fact active where their support services are in high demand. However, the other two determinants: ‘resource dependency’ and ‘political engagement’ suggest that development outcomes may be limited due to placement concentration in areas of high human resource availability and high political activity.

This study compares the need of the communities, the availability of financial resources for the organizations, and the density of existing organizations on NGOs' and NFCs' founding behavior in Nepal between 2012 and 2018. The study uses negative binomial regression models to demonstrate that NGOs and NFCs emerge in relatively prosperous areas than serving the communities with need. Furthermore, the density of similar organizations also affected where NGOs and NFCs emerge. This research also demonstrates that night time light data can serve as a reliable alternative proxy for measuring the communities' well-being and wealth at the subnational level in developing countries.

This paper examines the role of development NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) in furthering the political participation of the poor, with data from Bangladesh and Nepal. The topic is discussed from three aspects: the role of NGOs in prodemocracy movements, the issues raised by antiglobalization movements, and the extent of NGO involvement in local government elections. The paper draws on fieldwork conducted in two villages—one in Bangladesh and the other in Nepal. It is concluded that development NGOs tend to contribute more to elite interests than to the democratic political participation of the poor.

This article examines the unique roles of NGOs with special attention to the changing socio-political contexts of NGOs in terms of their partnerships with Rights-Holder Organizations (RHOs), which claim the rights of particular groups of excluded population. It reviews an example of the NGO working with RHOs in Nepal. NGO relationships with RHOs are delicate and not always equitable due to their different backgrounds and expertise. NGOs, comprising mostly people who are not members of the rights-holding groups, use their expertise to work for others over fixed periods, whilst RHOs work for their own constituencies through movements. Until the 1990s, NGOs supported so-called ‘beneficiaries’ who were members of excluded groups whose rights were being denied. Today, RHOs are formed directly by excluded groups. Some NGOs are trying to change their role to become promoters for RHOs, whilst others remain as their proxies, which merely creates an extra layer between RHOs and donors. The article attempts to prove that building equitable relationships between NGOs and RHOs is possible if NGOs have professionalism, expertise in capacity development and a readiness to become more inclusive. Though there are still several challenges ahead, such efforts by NGOs make it possible to change funding flows for RHOs and contribute to inclusive aid.

This article considers the relationship of civil society to the domain of the political from the actors’ perspectives. It explores the attempt by a citizens’ movement (CMDP) in Nepal to construct new political realities in the context of the autocratic regime of king Gyanendra and then during the democratic transition. This was, paradoxically, to be achieved through the construction of an apolitical space. Theoretically, this production of apoliticality by civil society actors shows that civil society is not only implicated in the expansion of what is understood as ‘political’ but also in setting its boundaries. The broader aims of the article are to contribute to the ethnography of civil society and to add to current understandings of the relationship of actually existing civil societies to the political domain. Practically, it argues that debates over whether civil society is or is not political in the Nepal case and normative positions within development circles that it should not be political are misconceived since civil society is a site for the production of both politicality and apoliticality.

Background: The thinking healthy program (THP) is an evidence-based psychological intervention for perinatal depression designed for delivery by nonspecialist health workers. To ensure its relevance in Nepal, we adapted THP using the mental health Cultural Adaptation and Contextualization for Implementation (mhCACI) framework. Methods: Using mhCACI’s 10-step process, we applied a participatory approach involving a multidisciplinary team to adapt both content and implementation strategies. A qualitative study nested within a pilot trial was conducted to assess feasibility and acceptability of adapted THP through in-depth interviews with perinatal women (n = 20), family members (n = 11) and focus group discussions with Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) (n = 16). Results: FCHVs were selected as delivery agents. Implementation adaptations included reducing the number of THP sessions from 16 to 8, integration of additional 2.5-day Foundational Helping Skills training and skill-based training methods. Manual revisions included simplified language, cultural idioms, visual aids and locally relevant examples. Referral pathways for gender-based violence, suicide and severe mental illness were included. The adapted THP was well received by providers and recipients. Conclusion: The adaptation demonstrates how global interventions can be contextually tailored for low-resource settings while preserving therapeutic integrity, offering a scalable model for community-based mental health care.

Rapid population declines of three species of Gyps vultures endemic to Asia were caused by unintentional poisoning by the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac. Despite a ban on its veterinary use across South Asia, diclofenac has continued to be supplied for this purpose. Here, we report updated results from undercover pharmacy surveys, conducted between 2012 and 2024, in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to investigate the availability and prevalence of veterinary NSAIDs. The purpose was to establish whether sales of diclofenac had continued and to determine which other veterinary NSAIDs were available. In India, the availability of diclofenac had declined in all Vulture Safe Zones (VSZs), but it was still readily available (up to 25% of sales) in Rajasthan where intensive conservation advocacy had not occurred. Elsewhere in the region, prevalence of diclofenac was low. The vulture-safe meloxicam continued to be the most commonly available veterinary NSAID throughout most of the region, especially in Nepal (85–100%), but still accounted for only 25–45% of products offered in other countries. In Bangladesh, the vulture-toxic ketoprofen was the most prevalent drug overall, but levels declined to a low level (<1% in 2024), following the nationwide ban on veterinary use of the drug in 2023. Fourteen different NSAIDs were recorded in our surveys, several of which are known or suspected to be toxic to vultures. Of special concern is a rapid increase in the prevalence of flunixin in Bangladesh. Flunixin has not been banned in any of the South Asian vulture range states. Conservation priorities should include awareness campaigns, stronger measures to implement current bans, safety-testing of other NSAIDs, especially flunixin, followed by bans on veterinary use of all NSAIDs found to be toxic to vultures. Prior evidence of safety to vultures should be a requirement for the licensing of all new veterinary NSAIDs.

Despite being one of the most critical agricultural inputs, chemical fertilizers are often misused by farmers in developing countries due to limited knowledge of proper nutrient management. Understanding current fertilizer application practices is essential for improving efficiency and enhancing crop productivity. This study examines the adoption and determinants of the 4R nutrient stewardship principles (also referred to as best management practices) – applying the right fertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place (4Rs) – among major cereals (rice and maize) and vegetables (cauliflower) in Nepal. Using a multivariate probit model, we analysed data from 926 surveyed households across 11 districts. Our findings reveal that only 30% of farmers used the right fertilizer source supplying nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), while just 7% applied these nutrients at the right time. Additionally, 19% of farmers placed fertilizers correctly, and only 6% applied nitrogen at the right rate. Key factors influencing right nutrient management practices include gender, age, educational level of the household head, access to credit, smartphone ownership, and proximity to cooperative offices. Farmers with small landholdings, more years of farming experience, access to smartphones, and those who borrow agricultural loans are more likely to apply the right rate of nitrogenous fertilizers. The factors contributing to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers vary by crop type. Given the low adoption rates of 4R soil nutrient management practices, agricultural policies in Nepal should prioritize promoting these best management practices to enhance fertilizer efficiency, optimize yields, and improve long-term soil health.

Drawing on two decades of collaborative legal ethnographic research with Indigenous communities, this article weaves personal narrative and lived experience to highlight working-class scholar-activism and embodied spiritual rituality as an act of resistance within academia. It critically challenges Western research ethics paradigms by emphasising ethics as a lived, relational practice grounded in rituality and interconnectedness rather than mere compliance. Through an audiovisual lens, it demonstrates how visual storytelling can embody and amplify more-than-human voices, fostering relationality and responsibility. The paper offers two key contributions: recentring the positionality of working-class scholars and recentring the agency of the more-than-human int he field of law as vital in knowledge production. While decolonial and Indigenous scholarship advocate for diverse epistemologies, they often overlook working-class perspectives rooted in societal justice. I argue that a heart-based resistance grounded in critical care, relationality, Indigenous ontologies and spirituality can foster transformative academic knowledge.

This paper examines associations between maternal exposure to a radio programme, Bhanchhin Aama (Mother Knows Best), and the programme’s most promoted maternal and child nutrition-related practices, using the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) from 2022. We limited our sample to mothers of children less than 2 years (n = 1,933). The primary exposure variable was whether the mother listened to the Bhanchhin Aama radio programme. The five primary outcomes were: maternal dietary diversity, maternal use of modern family planning methods, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) of children less than 6 months, dietary diversity among children 6 to 24 months, and participation in growth monitoring and promotion among children 0 to 24 months. Descriptive analyses followed by logistic regression models, adjusted for potentially confounding factors and clustering, were conducted. Maternal exposure to Bhanchhin Aama was associated with nearly 70% higher odds of meeting both maternal (OR: 1.67; p: <0.001; CI: 1.26–2.21) and child minimum dietary diversity (OR: 1.70; p: 0.005; CI: 1.18–2.45), as well as 83% higher odds of a child participating in growth monitoring and promotion (OR: 1.83; p: 0.001; CI: 1.28–2.63). No associations were found for use of modern family planning methods and EBF. These findings suggests that radio programmes may be an effective tool to improve some maternal and child nutrition-related practices. Further research is needed to understand why certain behaviours are modifiable from this type of intervention versus others that are not and for which population groups this intervention would be most effective.

Cross-cutting issues like nutrition have not been adequately addressed for children with severe visual impairment studying in integrated schools of Nepal. To support advocacy, this study aimed to determine the nutritional status of this vulnerable group, using a descriptive cross-sectional design involving 101 students aged 5–19 years from two integrated public schools near Kathmandu Valley and two in western Nepal. The weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ), and body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) were computed and categorised using World Health Organization cut-off values (overnutrition: z-score > +2.0 standard deviations (SD), healthy weight: z-score −2.0SD to +2.0SD, moderate undernutrition: z-score ≥ −3.0SD to <−2.0SD, severe undernutrition: z-score < −3.0 SD) to assess nutritional status. A child was considered to have undernutrition for any z-scores <−2.0SD. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse variables linked to undernutrition. The mean age of participants was 11.86 ± 3.66 years, and the male-to-female ratio was nearly 2:1. Among the participants, 71.29% had blindness, and 28.71% had low vision. The mean BAZ and HAZ scores decreased with age. The WAZ, HAZ, and BAZ scores indicated that 6.46% were underweight, 20.79% were stunted, and 5.94% were thin, respectively. Overall, 23.76% of students had undernutrition and 7.92% had overnutrition. More than three in ten students had malnutrition and stunting was found to be prevalent. Older students and females were more likely to have undernutrition. These findings highlight the need for nutrition interventions within inclusive education settings, particularly targeting girls with visual impairments who may face compounded vulnerabilities.

Alisha Sijapati and Erin Thompson’s article “Making a market for ‘The Art of Nepal’: Tracing the flow of Nepali cultural property into the United States” makes a series of unsubstantiated claims about the nature and scope of the Nepali antiquities market in the 1950s and 1960s based on the authors’ research of a single 1964 exhibition of Nepali antiquities in the United States. This critical response will contest these claims by examining the broader Nepali antiquities market as it existed prior to 1970, particularly within Nepal and in South Asia, while also locating the authors and their claims in the context of the recent repatriation campaign by Nepali activists. Finally, the response will conclude that if there is to be an ethical turn in voluntary repatriation, there must be greater consideration of contexts beyond the West and a refocusing of provenance research beyond Western collectors and institutions.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-based treatment for adolescent depression. However, since it does not work for all adolescents in all settings, more research on its heterogeneous effects is needed. Using a realist approach, we aimed to generate hypotheses about mechanisms and contextual contingencies in adolescent group IPT in Nepal. We analysed 26 transcripts from qualitative interviews with IPT participants aged 13–19, facilitators, supervisors and trainers. We analysed data using the Framework Method. The qualitative analytical framework was based on the VICTORE checklist, a realist tool to explore intervention complexity. Sharing, problem-solving, giving and receiving support, managing emotions and negotiating emerged as mechanisms through which adolescents improved their depression. Participants perceived that girls and older adolescents benefitted most from IPT. Girls had less family support than boys and therefore benefitted most from the group support. Older adolescents found it easier than younger ones to share problems and manage emotions. Adolescents exposed to violence and parental alcoholism struggled to overcome problems without family and school support. We formulated hypotheses on group IPT mechanisms and contextual interpersonal and school-level factors. Research is needed to test these hypotheses to better understand for whom IPT works and in what circumstances.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a ten-item standardised questionnaire to assess an individual's vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. Three of these ten questions are related to alcohol consumption. Nepal has a distinct alcohol culture, where alcohol use is socially and religiously acceptable in some caste/ethnic groups and is prohibited in others, thereby influencing the scores of AUDIT questions related to all three conceptual domains. Identifying and endorsing subsets of AUDIT questions relevant to different ethnic groups could be the way forward for effective screening of alcohol use disorders in Nepal.