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. 2023 Oct 4;2(4):e127.
doi: 10.1002/puh2.127. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Epidemiology of COVID-19 mortality in Nepal: An analysis of the National Health Emergency Operation Center data

Samir Kumar Adhikari  1 , Kamal Ranabhat  1   2 , Suraj Bhattarai  3   4 , Bhuvan Saud  5 , Kiran Paudel  6   7 , Rabindra Bhandari  2 , Pratik Khanal  8   9 , Claire Marriott Keene  10 , Vishnu Khanal  11   12
Affiliations

Epidemiology of COVID-19 mortality in Nepal: An analysis of the National Health Emergency Operation Center data

Samir Kumar Adhikari et al. Public Health Chall. .

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 had caused nearly 12,000 deaths in Nepal by March 2023. In this study, we compare COVID-19-associated mortality in the first (September 15 to November 30, 2020) and second (April 15 to June 30, 2021) waves of the pandemic in Nepal and investigate the associated epidemiological factors.

Methods: We disaggregated the COVID-19-related deaths between the first and second waves of the pandemic using the national COVID-19 database and evaluated the association of independent variables with the deaths in the first versus second waves.

Results: Out of 8133 deaths, 25% died in the first wave and 75% in the second. Overall, 33.5% of the deceased were female, and 52% of the deaths were in those 60 years or older. A vast majority (92%) of deaths occurred in hospitals. Geographically, the middle "Hill" region (58.3%) witnessed the most significant number of deaths. About two thirds (64%) had at least one comorbid condition. Multivariable logistic regression showed a difference in the reported deaths by province (state) and geography (ecological region) between the first and second waves. Those in the age groups "19-39 years" and "40-59 years" were more likely to die in the second wave than in the first wave compared to the younger age group.

Conclusions: Overall, deaths were concentrated among older age groups, males, in the Hill regions, in the western provinces, and those with comorbidities. Therefore, the country must focus on these areas to ensure an efficient and effective pandemic response in the future.

Keywords: COVID‐19 mortality; Nepal; epidemiology; global emergencies; pandemic preparedness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Distribution of COVID‐19 deaths during the first two waves (from May 2020 to December 2021) by province, Nepal.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Distribution of COVID‐19 deaths by months in Nepal.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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