Monsoon health advice, a new doctor in Pokhara, awards at the ISTM conference, and our work as health partner for some of Nepal's biggest tourism and adventure events.
Dengue
Dengue cases are starting to appear in Nepal and will keep rising in the coming months. As temperatures climb and monsoon rain collects in containers and puddles, mosquitoes find ideal breeding conditions and the risk of transmission increases.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and a rash in about half of patients.
There is no specific treatment, so the best protection is avoiding mosquito bites: cover up, use repellent when needed, and don't let water collect around your home.
The dengue vaccine Qdenga (Takeda, Japan) is licensed in many countries — including the European Union, the UK, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Argentina and Brazil — but isn't yet available in Nepal. If you're traveling to one of those countries, you could be vaccinated there. It's a live vaccine given as two doses, 3 months apart. Read our full dengue guide.
Waterborne diseases
Waterborne diseases peak in Nepal during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons (April to August), including diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid fever and gastroenteritis. Drink only boiled or bottled water, eat hygienically prepared food, keep food covered from flies, and wash your hands well.
Health packages on promotion
Our health screening packages are back on promotion until the end of August. To book, call reception or email [email protected].
CIWEC Pokhara welcomes a new doctor
Please welcome Dr. Nav Raj Bastakoti, MDGP, to our Pokhara team. Dr. Bastakoti is a specialist in general practice with 19 years of clinical experience and a strong interest in travel medicine, committed to improving care through both clinical practice and community initiatives. He speaks English, Russian, Nepali and Hindi.
ISTM conference, New Orleans
CIWEC doctors and nurses took part in the International Society of Travel Medicine conference in New Orleans, USA, on 11–15 May 2025, with oral and poster presentations on a range of travel health topics.
- Our Medical Director, Dr. Prativa Pandey, received the Best Oral Presentation Award.
- Our Senior Nurse, Ms. Bhawani Khadka, received the Distinguished Nurse Leadership Award.
Health partner for tourism and adventure events
Himalayan Travel Mart 2025. CIWEC was the official health partner at HTM 2025, organized by the PATA Nepal Chapter in Kathmandu on 3–5 June. Dr. Suvash Dawadi spoke as a guest panelist on the growing importance of travel medicine and medical tourism. Our health booth offered free blood pressure, BMI and blood glucose checks, along with travel health advice.
Himalayan Xtri. We were official health partner for the Himalayan Xtri — a 3.5 km swim, 165 km bike ride and 43 km run at altitudes of up to 4,000 m — providing medical cover from registration to the finish. The race ran on 10 May, with the closing ceremony on 11 May.
Annapurna Marathon and Everest Marathon. At the Annapurna Marathon on 3 June we ran fully equipped medical stations at Annapurna Base Camp (the start) and Ghandruk (the finish). We also partnered with the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, run every 29 May from Everest Base Camp through the Khumbu, marking the first ascent of Everest in 1953.