Press Release

The UN in Nepal and Dhulikhel Hospital’s Strategic Collaboration to Transform Healthcare Delivery in Nepal & Advance the SDGs

31 July 2024

Caption: The member of UN Country Team in Nepal led by the UNRC Madam Hanaa and Dhulikhel Hospital led by Professor Dr Ram KM Shrestha after the historic signing ceremony.

Photo: © UNIC Kathmandu

31 July, Kathmandu – The United Nations in Nepal and Dhulikhel Hospital have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to share expertise to transform healthcare delivery in Nepal and advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Acknowledging the importance of partnership with academia under the UNSDCF and SDG Partnership program, the UN Resident Coordinator's Office and four UN agencies—UNFPA, UNICEF, IOM, and WHO—have signed the Joint Declaration of Intent with Dhulikhel Hospital.

Speaking at the historic signing ceremony, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal Madam Hanaa Singer Hamdy said, “Achieving the SDGs in Nepal requires strong partnerships with various sectors. We are hopeful that this collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital will yield excellent results to improve healthcare, address public health issues, and support vulnerable populations through shared expertise and collaborative efforts ultimately supporting a healthier, more resilient Nepal for all."

Caption: The UNRC Madam Hanaa Singer Hamdy and Executive Director of Dhulikhel Hospital Prof Dr. Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha formalizing the collaboration

Photo: © UNIC Kathmandu

Through collaborative programs, the UN and the Dhulikhel Hospital will enhance post-COVID-19 recovery and resilience and improve primary healthcare delivery by sharing best practices and addressing public health challenges like infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases.

The UN will support Dhulikhel Hospital on global health topics; engage in research projects to boost health outcomes; and conduct community outreach focused on health, nutrition, and social behavior change, particularly targeting vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

The Dhulikhel Hospital will provide technical expertise and share best practices to develop joint research projects.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in Nepal’s healthcare journey. We are confident that together, we can build a healthier future for all. By combining Dhulikhel Hospital’s expertise in the medical field and research, and with the UN’s global resources and network, we are poised to make a substantial impact on the health and well-being of the Nepalese people.” Said Professor Dr. Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha, Executive Director of Dhulikhel Hospital.

This joint UN collaboration as mandated by the UN Reform together with the Dhulikhel Hospital is expected to have a profound impact on the lives of countless Nepalese people and serve as a model for other countries in the region.

Caption: The UNRC Madam Hanaa Singer Hamdy and the Executive Director of Dhulikhel Hospital Prof Dr. Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha formalizing the collaboration

Photo: © UNIC Kathmandu

For Further Information contact:

Simrika Sharma

National Information Officer

UN Information Center; Email: simrika.sharma@un.org

Tel: 5523200 Ext. 1510

English

Hanaa Singer-Hamdy

RCO

United Nations Resident Coordinator

Ms. Singer-Hamdy has worked for close to 30 years across development and humanitarian contexts at various senior management and strategic leadership roles. She served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka from 2018 to 2022. Under her leadership, the UN in Sri Lanka continued its partnership with the Government in responding to complex economic and political challenges including the 2019 Easter Bombings, COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent deterioration in macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. When Sri Lanka faced a significant rise in food insecurity and other humanitarian concerns, she led a response targeting 3.4 million people in need that raised over $100 million for vital aid. To advance inclusive and rights-based development, she led the design of the United Nations Strategic Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 in consultation with Government and other stakeholders. Since 2019, she also mobilized over $36 million for peacebuilding and resilience programming through the UN Sri Lanka SDG Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

Prior to this, she held several senior management positions in UNICEF offices across the world, including as the Associate Regional Director in Geneva and as Country Representative for Syria, Nepal, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

In Syria, she provided strategic leadership to one of the largest protection crises on the global stage – successfully scaling up programmes through an integrated package of high impact interventions in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and child protection - increasing the reach of UNICEF’s work to the most vulnerable children including in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

As UNICEF Chief in Nepal, she pioneered strategic programmes for scaling up sanitation, adolescents and multisectoral nutrition programmes, establishing strategic new alliances resulting in the government adopting national action plans. She has also led humanitarian programmes in Burundi and Haiti, and as a regional emergency advisor for CEE/CIS countries coordinated setting up cross border humanitarian operations to Afghanistan ,from central Asia, and Iraq,from south Turkey. She also provided technical support to emergency preparedness programmes in the North Caucasus, CEE/CIS countries .

Ms. Singer-Hamdy holds a Master's degree in Political Sociology and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. She obtained a diploma in “Planning and Management of Decentralized Development Projects” from Bradford University in the United Kingdom. Ms. Singer-Hamdy has engaged in academia and research in political sociology and international relations at the American University of Cairo and at the Sadat’s Academy for Management Sciences, Faculty of Political Science of Cairo University.