Ashok Pandey

 Ashok Pandey, MPH, is an Associate Research Fellow at the Policy Research Institute (PRI)—Nepal’s premier government think tank under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Specializing in Medical and Health Sciences / Epidemiology and Public Health, his expertise spans health governance, policy research, non-communicable diseases, and health systems research.

According to the AD Scientific Index (ID: 6347499), Dr. Pandey ranks 349,313 globally and 63rd in Nepal, and holds the #1 position within PRI in his discipline. He has an H-index of 25 (total) and 24 in the last five years, reflecting a high proportion of recent impactful work (last 5 years/total ratio: 0.96).

With nearly 200 publications, over 12,500 citations, and 127,000 reads, Dr. Pandey’s research contributions demonstrate both academic rigor and applied policy relevance. He previously served as Senior Research Officer at the Nepal Health Research Council and is Executive Director of the Public Health Research Society Nepal, where he leads multi-sectoral public health initiatives.

An award-winning researcher and educator, he has taught at universities in Nepal and Bangladesh, authored national-level reports, and contributed to global health forums. His work is recognized for integrating evidence-based policy, community engagement, and capacity-building to strengthen Nepal’s health systems.

 

 

“Are you safe?” Safety-check tools During Natural Disaster

Ashok Pandey’s innovative idea and model development emerged from his firsthand experience during Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake. Recognizing the urgent need for rapid, reliable communication in disasters, he explored how digital safety-check tools—like Facebook’s “Are You Safe?”—could serve as lifelines. His model integrates internet-based safety confirmation with disaster response systems, enabling affected individuals to mark themselves safe, locate missing persons, and share updates with family and friends. Pandey’s approach uniquely frames this not just as a technological aid but as a right to information, aligning it with Nepal’s constitutional guarantees and international humanitarian guidelines.

He emphasized a citizen-led, real-time information exchange, while also addressing critical limitations—low internet penetration, misinformation risks, infrastructure collapse, and exclusion of offline populations. His proposed model calls for a multistakeholder collaboration involving tech developers, disaster authorities, and vulnerable communities to create context-specific, accessible, and reliable safety-check mechanisms. Importantly, he highlights the gender dimension, noting women’s disproportionate vulnerability and the need for targeted solutions.

Pandey’s work bridges technology, human rights, and disaster resilience, offering a replicable framework for countries with similar infrastructural and socio-economic challenges. By combining community empowerment with digital innovation, his model envisions safety-check tools as an integrated, government-supported public service for disaster preparedness and response

For detaiils: https://www.giswatch.org/en/country-report/economic-social-and-cultural-rights-escrs/nepal

 

Center for Volunteering Excellence

Ashok Pandey’s innovative idea, the Certified Volunteer Development Program under the Center for Volunteering Excellence, is a structured model designed to strengthen Nepal’s public health capacity through skilled volunteerism. Recognizing the country’s resource constraints and diverse health challenges, Pandey created a 10-step pathway that recruits, trains, engages, and certifies public health volunteers. This model integrates theoretical training with hands-on fieldwork, ensuring volunteers gain both knowledge and real-world experience.

The program has already trained over 100 volunteers, contributing to impactful initiatives such as the Harm Reduction Project, the Search and Destroy Dengue Prevention Campaign, and the WASH-away AMR Program. Volunteers have been equipped to tackle pressing issues—from reducing mosquito breeding sites to promoting harm reduction strategies and combating antimicrobial resistance.

Pandey’s model stands out for its sustainability focus: certified volunteers are placed in a roster for priority engagement in future projects, enhancing career growth while ensuring continuity in public health interventions. By combining education, mentorship, field engagement, and recognition, the program empowers volunteers as agents of change.

This innovative approach aligns with global strategies for community-based health system strengthening, making it both a local solution for Nepal’s needs and a replicable framework for other resource-limited settings.

For details: https://jhswn.com/index.php/jhsw/article/view/107