Medical research in developing countries like
Nepal is still in its infancy. Research activities
conducted by medical schools and external
funding agencies are focused mainly on infectious
diseases due to their high prevalence,
which means that research activities in the
field of pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs)
are primarily focused in developed countries.
As a result, there is currently not a single unit
for conducting research on PVDs stationed in
Nepal. Yet many Nepalese are continuously
exposed to several underlying risk factors for
the development of lung diseases, such as
pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), asthma and interstitial lung
diseases, all of which are very common in this
country, and some of them are significantly
associated with PVDs.1 Additionally, about 3%
of Nepalese people living at high altitude are
chronically exposed to hypoxia.