Kedar Baral

Kedar Prasad Baral is a public health physician with experience of over 25 years in the field of public health. The last four years, he served Patan Academy of health Sciences (PAHS) in the capacity of Rector. During the latter part of his Rector responsibility, for a period of a little over six months, he was the Officiating Vice Chancellor of the same institution. Having held office as both a Vice Chancellor and Rector, he has ample experience navigating through fundamental policy processes and negotiation within institution and national health system. He completed his tenure as Rector on March 10, 2017.

Doctor Baral had his beginnings as a Primary health care worker and over time advanced his way to become a Medical House Officer, Training Chief, Community Health Manager and ultimately work for Plan international as a National Health Adviser, a position he held for eight years. He also Served Nepal Family Health Program (USAID) as a Reproductive Health Specialist. Notably, he has chaired the Department of Community Health Sciences, being responsible for coordinating the School of Public Health project. With a team of experts, he has designed the community health sciences curriculum for PAHS’s MBBS program. Doctor Kedar was also the principal author of the community based learning and education curriculum in the aforementioned MBBS program.

Baral has a strong background in teaching, having been a professor of public health in PAHS since 2010. He also continually supports other educational institutions as an external examiner and supervises students pursuing PhD degree.

Doctor Baral has been an adjunct professor at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy since 2014. Currently he is involved in a number of research projects most notably Aflatoxin Exposure and Nutrition Outcome and Nutrition Policy Implementation Research.

He has served a number of technical, evaluation and review committees under the Ministry of Health. He was also one of the Review Team Members of Nepal Health Sector Implementation Plan. Over the years, he has provided technical support and headed many other committees across various health programs. Currently he is a member of National Verification Committee for Measles Elimination and Rubella control. Additionally, he serves National Influenza surveillance network as a member, the network under the National Influenza Centre.

In 2009 Kedar joined the Influenza Surveillance Project as its Co-Principal Investigator and since 2013 he has been leading the same project in collaboration with National Influenza Center, Nepal and CDC, Atlanta, USA