Prof. Buddha Basnyat has received the NHRC Lifetime Achievement Award for Health Research in Nepal. The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) conferred its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Health Research upon Prof. Buddha Basnyat, Chairperson of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Nepal (OUCRU Nepal) at the 11th National Summit of Health and Population Scientists this week. This honour recognises his exceptional contributions to medical research and public health over a career spanning more than five decades.
Prof. Basnyat, a distinguished physician and clinical researcher based in Kathmandu, has dedicated his life’s work to advancing the understanding of infectious diseases and high-altitude medicine. His contributions have shaped clinical practice and public health policy in Nepal and across other resource-limited and mountainous regions worldwide.
In 2003, following a visit to Nepal by Prof. Sir Jeremy Farrar at Prof. Basnyat’s invitation, the two co-founded OUCRU Nepal. Prof Basnyat was the Director of OUCRU Nepal until 2022 —building on his longstanding research on infectious diseases in the country. He also serves as Medical Director of both the Travel and Mountain Medicine Centre and the Himalayan Rescue Association, where he has addressed complex medical challenges related to altitude illness, including acute mountain sickness and high-altitude oedemas, while championing rigorous, evidence-based clinical research.
His landmark randomized controlled trials on typhoid vaccines and treatments have significantly influenced public health strategies in South Asia—reducing mortality and informing World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. He also identified scrub typhus as a major cause of febrile illness in Nepal, previously misdiagnosed as typhoid, leading to nationwide changes in diagnostic and treatment protocols. In the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), his research has contributed directly to Nepal’s National Antibiotic Guidelines, promoting evidence-based, rational drug use in low-resource settings.
As a world authority on high-altitude medicine, Prof. Basnyat’s work with the Himalayan Rescue Association and Everest ER has helped refine prevention and treatment strategies for climbers and high-altitude communities in Nepal.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Prof. Basnyat is a committed mentor who has played a pivotal role in developing the next generation of Nepalese clinician-scientists and fostering a vibrant, sustainable research community within the country. He also serves as the Honorary Consul of Canada to Nepal, reflecting his deep commitment to international collaboration and diplomacy.
This Lifetime Achievement Award not only celebrates Prof. Basnyat’s extraordinary career, but also highlights Nepal’s growing role in global health research. His tireless dedication to science, mentorship, and local capacity building has cemented his legacy as a leading figure in Nepal’s health sector and a lasting inspiration for future generations of medical researchers.
