PERSONAL STATEMENT
I have a single take from my entire career trajectory, which is empowerment. I believe, empowering powerless people brings real change. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), which I had initiated early on as a pilot study in Nepal, is a case in point. Over the time, empowerment of FCHVs blossomed into a community based national network of more than 50,000 FCHVs contributing to Nepal’s achieving MDGs in child and maternal health. I head started Nepal’s two important projects – MCH-FP and PHC.
I have experientially learnt how empowerment process mobilizes energy inherent in each individual, making trainees as well teachers more confident in making life choices and asserting their rights. I envision that with enhanced empowerment process of people, a new social order could emerge for a healthier, happier & more prosperous humanity.
Self-motivation, empathy, risk taking, improvisation, learning experientially from all, building team approach, setting examples by doing are some of my personal traits.
About Her
Prof. Dr. Rita Thapa (MBBB, King George Medical College, Lucknow University, India; MPH, Johns Hopkins University), is a public health physician and the first medical officer to initiate Government’s Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health (FP-MCH) project in Nepal. She pioneered the training and mobilization of community-based health workers to reach out the rural mothers and children at the time of virtual absence of health workers. In 1975, as the first Chief of the Integrated Community Health services Development Project (ICHSDP), Nepal’s Primary Health Care, she led in establishing a countrywide network of Integrated District Health Systems consisting of district health offices, health posts, Village Health Workers, Mothers’ Groups, and Female Community Health Volunteers, which has been responsible for making Nepal a global leader in reducing maternal and child mortality despite the decade long internal political turmoil that the country suffered.
She is one of the few people still living who attended the famous 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care at Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, representing Nepal and signing the Declaration of Alma-Ata, which is now considered the “gold standard” for primary health care programs.
Later she worked for several years in the WHO offices in Manila, Head Quarters Geneva, and New Delhi. As the first woman Director heading the Department of Health Systems and Community Health in the WHO South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), she contributed to developing evidence-based analytical Health Profile of Women of South-East Asia, and that of regional gender mainstreaming tools.
Upon her retirement from the WHO, Dr. Thapa has served Nepal in several capacities: as a member of High-Level Health Policy Restructuring Committee, Ministry of Health; a Visiting Professor, School of Public Health School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan; President of Nepal Perinatal Society of Nepal; President of Nepal Public Health Foundation; a senate member, Kathmandu University, and President of Nepal Public Health Foundation.
She honorarily inaugurated the world’s highest golf course of Lo Manthang, Mustang.
Currently, as the Founding and Pro-Bono Chair of Bhaskar-Tejshree Memorial Foundation, and Carl Taylor Endowed Professor, Community Health, Future Generations University, USA, she is engaged in community based public health issues affecting young lives.
Honors/Decorations:
- 2023 Awarded with Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Award for her contribution in reduction of tobacco consumption among school adolescents by Hon’ble Minister of Health and Population
- 2022 Awarded Prof. Dr. Shanta Thapaliya Women’s Empowerment Award from Legal Aid and Consultancy Center, Nepal, in recognition of her lifelong contributions to promote women’s and children’s education, health, family planning, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment.
- 2021 Honored with Nepal Medical Association certificate of appreciation awarded by the Rt. Hon’ble President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal, for her distinguished contributions in the field of health services, health research and social services including rural and marginalized communities.
- 2021 Appointed as Carl E. Taylor Endowed Professor of Public Health, Future Generations University, USA
- 2019 The Distinguished Alumni Award by The Johns Hopkins University for outstanding contribution in the field of public health;
- 2018 Life Time Achievement Award by the Perinatal Society of Nepal for Dr. Rita Thapa’s outstanding contribution and service to Perinatal Health in Nepal;
- 2016 Life Time Achievement Award by the Nepal Public Health Foundation honoring Dr. Rita Thapa’s contribution and years of dedicated service in the field of public health and for her personal example of leadership and competence of highest standards of excellence and inspiration to all;
- 2006 Appointed as Visiting Professor of the School of Public Health at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan.
- 2003 Honor Plaque for initiating and expanding the Government’s Family Planning Program services up to rural areas of Nepal, by Minister of Health and Population, Mr. Khagraj Adhikari, at a public function in 2015-; Honor Plaque awarded to Dr. Rita Thapa by the Nepal Public Health Association in recognition of her profound contribution to developing integrated health services and chartering public health policy in the country;
- 1998 Honor Plaque by Women Sports/Nepal, for being first National woman badminton player and raising the level of women sports in Nepal.
- 1998 Subikhyat Trishaktipatta, awarded by the Late His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.
- 1985 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Heidelberg College, Ohio, USA.
- 1981 Marie McLeod Bethune Achievement Award from National Council of Negro Women, Inc., Washington DC, USA
- 1979 Prashidha Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Medal, awarded by the Late His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, for her commendable work in Primary Health Care.
- 1977-1985 Appointed as Honorary member of WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Public Health Administration by Dr H. Mahler, Director-General, WHO.
