Health information for Nepal
Written by our doctors and reviewed every year. Based on four decades of treating travelers and residents in Nepal — not generic advice.
- TREKKING & ALTITUDEJAN 2026Altitude illness advice for trekkersSerious altitude illness is rare below 3,000 m, but mild AMS can start lower. Above 3,000 m, gain no more than 300 m a day, build in 1–2 spare days, and never ascend to sleep higher with symptoms.Read article →
- TREKKING & ALTITUDEJAN 2026Trekking in NepalEleven practical tips: train beforehand, purify every drop of water, keep spare days, get insurance that covers evacuation and hospital bills, and never trek alone.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026Diarrhea — general informationAbout a third of CIWEC patients come in for diarrhea, with risk highest April to September. Roughly 70–75% of cases are bacterial, 20–25% viral and around 5% parasitic.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026All about CyclosporaSeason runs late May to August. Profound fatigue, loss of appetite and waxing-and-waning diarrhea. Iodine and chlorine don't kill it — boil or properly filter your water.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026Rabies prevention in NepalAny bite, scratch or lick from an animal needs a medical opinion — it is never too late to start treatment. Monkeys account for 43% of tourist exposures.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026Dengue feverSpread by day-biting Aedes mosquitoes, mostly in towns. Sudden high fever, pain behind the eyes and aches; most people recover within a week. Know the warning signs.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026Cholera in NepalMore than 100 cases a year in the Kathmandu valley, May to September. Prevention is safe water; vaccine is only for volunteers in affected areas.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALOCT 2026Japanese encephalitisMosquito-borne and rare in travelers, but confirmed in Kathmandu. Who needs the vaccine — and who doesn't.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALJAN 2026InfluenzaRecommended yearly for everyone over 6 months — especially trekkers sharing crowded lodges. Safe in pregnancy.Read article →
- ILLNESSES IN NEPALMAR 2026Malaria advice for travelers to NepalNo risk in Kathmandu, Pokhara or the trekking areas, and no case acquired in Nepal by a traveler in 25 years. Who needs tablets for the Terai, and how to take them.Read article →
- BEFORE YOU TRAVELJAN 2026Adult immunizationsEvery vaccine we recommend for adults in Nepal — doses, boosters and what we stock — in one table.Read article →
- BEFORE YOU TRAVELMental health in NepalDr. David Shlim on travel stress, panic attacks, depression and psychosis in travelers — and when to come and talk to us.Read article →
- FAMILIES & WOMENFEB 2026Immunization for childrenOur recommended schedule from birth to adolescence, with a note on every vaccine — including why we pre-immunize children against rabies.Read article →
- FAMILIES & WOMENJAN 2026Trekking with childrenChildren get altitude sickness as often as adults, and it's harder to spot. How to recognize it, choose a trek and stay safe.Read article →
- FAMILIES & WOMENTrekking and the oral contraceptive pillDoes the pill raise clot risk at altitude? What the evidence says — and how to safely skip a period on trek.Read article →
- FAMILIES & WOMENTrekking whilst pregnantFlying, altitude, diarrhea and hepatitis E in pregnancy — when to postpone, and what's essential if you go.Read article →
VIDEOS
Our doctors explain.
Short talks from CIWEC physicians on the conditions we see most.
NEWSLETTER
Seasonal health news from our doctors.
A few times a year: what we're seeing in clinic, seasonal risks in Nepal, and what's new at CIWEC.
Issues are emailed to patients and friends of CIWEC, and archived here once sent.
- JUL 2025July 2025Dengue season, a new doctor in Pokhara, two ISTM awards, and health partner for HTM, Xtri and the Everest and Annapurna marathons.
- MAR–APR 2025Spring 2025Air quality alert, health partner at the NICE expo in Pokhara, and the TBS school nurses' conference.
- JAN–FEB 2024January – February 2024Winter respiratory infections, our new treadmill stress test, screening on promotion and first aid training.
- SEP–OCT 2023September – October 2023Welcome Dr. Sangita Puree, flu vaccine in stock, a dengue update and autumn altitude advice.
- JUN–JUL 2023June – July 2023Awards for Dr. Prativa Pandey, new colonoscopy and pain services, and our biggest blood drive yet.