Establishing research capacity in Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh

Eye health is a key challenge in Nepal, and evidence-informed policy is critical to reducing visual impair ment. A significant barrier to sustainable change is also the limited capacity for eye health research, with few trained professionals, scarce resources and little coordination.

Sailesh Kumar Mishra Executive Director, Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, Kathmandu, Nepal

Reena Yadav Assistant Professor, Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, Kathmandu, Nepal

Sunu Dulal Professor and Academic Chief, Bharatpur Eye Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal

Sabina Shrestha Professor at the Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu,

 Nepal will develop research skills in priority areas, help to increase scientific output and translation into practice as well as develop fundraising capacities. The Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) is a national eye care institution which is responsible for the majority of eye care facilities in Nepal. While research is being conducted, it is primarily designed by foreign researchers, with local clinicians carrying out the work in their spare time.

Generating evidence and leveraging capacities with an online questionnaire across a network of 27 eye hospitals, NNJS investigated ongoing research, available resources and evidence requirements for the future. At present, there are only a few staff members active in research, distributed across NNJS tertiary eye hospitals. There are no processes to coordinate research activities, skills or resources. The current project aims to establish a multidisciplinary research team in the NNJS core structure to scale local research activities by offering support to and coordination of the activities in the network of NNJS partner hospitals. The team with support from the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) and in collaboration with eight hospitals from the NNJS network, an ophthalmologist, a statistician/epidemiologist, a data manager, a health economist and a research administrator will receive training and different research projects will be developed. Four systematic reviews will deliver evidence to inform eye health in Nepal. The collaborating hospitals have pledged funding to support the core research team, enhancing the project’s continuity. Addressing the most critical evidence needs for eye health in Nepal, and including a Ministry of Health representative on the project advisory board further ensure the long-term sustainability of the project’s achievements. The foundation’s Ophthalmology program aims to enhance institutional research capacity, strengthen local research, and research ownership which ultimately contributes to improved eye care.

               Background:

Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) was established in 1978 and works in coordination with the government’s Apex Body for Eye Health to deliver eye care services across the country. In 2024 NNJS includes 27 eye hospitals across all seven provinces of Nepal as well as 157 eye care centres managed by the NNJS tertiary eye hospitals in their respective catchment area. NNJS now provides around 80% of eye care services in Nepal, which in 2023 included out-patient department (OPD) service to 3,300,231 people, and 176,162 cataract surgeries.

Eye health is a key challenge in Nepal, and evidence-informed policy is critical to reducing visual impairment. A significant barrier to sustainable change is also the limited capacity for eye health research, with few trained professionals, scarce resources and little coordination.

We aim to establish a small sustainable research department with a multidisciplinary core research team at the central office of NNJS. This team will provide a common platform to coordinate all the research activities at the central and peripheral level of NNJS.

Objective:

Overall Goal

The overall goal of this project is to strengthen the capacity of NNJS to implement, manage and sustain research throughout the NNJS Network.

Phases of the Research Capacity Strengthening Project

Our overall goal will be achieved through delivery of the following objectives structured in five phases:

1. Establish capability centrally to support research projects across the NNJS Network.

2. Establish a research network across NNJS partner hospitals.

3. Develop research skills in priority areas among the research team members.

4. Increase the scientific outputs from the NNJS Network and their translation to practice.

5. Ensure sustainability of the research team, including by developing research fundraising capacity.