About AMMUNet and the 1st Network symposium
The Asia-UK Maternal-neonatal infection and iMmunity Network (AMMUNet) is a newly established network of academics in the United Kingdom and Nepal, with collaborators from the United States of America and India. This network is jointly led by the UK’s Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection (CNPI) at the Institute of Infection and Immunity, City St. George’s, London, and Nepal’s Global Health Research and Medical Interventions Institute (GlohMed), Kathmandu.
As its first formal meeting, the network is organizing a two-day symposium on Maternal-Neonatal Infections and Immunity, to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 6th and 7th November 2025.
The two-day scientific event will feature:
- Keynote presentations by leading experts in maternal-neonatal infection & immunization
- Invited talks by local policymakers, researchers and subject experts
- Participation of Nepali government officials, health development partners, professional bodies, private sector and early-career researchers
- Focused sessions on perinatal infections (Group B Strep, RSV, influenza, klebsiella)
- Larger regional project concepts, designs and proposal outline
- Visit to current and potential study sites (maternity hospitals, paediatric centres).
- Side meeting with senior government officials (FWD, Immunization section) National Immunization Advisory Committee, and health development partners (WHO, UNICEF)
Organizers and core partners:
This workshop will be locally organized by Global Health Research and Medical Interventions Institute (GlohMed), Nepal in collaboration with Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital, with support from City St. George’s, London, UK. Other collaborators for the AMMUNet network as well as the Kathmandu symposium are Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, India and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Ohio, USA.
Potential new collaborators are national and regional professional societies (OBGYN, paediatrics, neonatal, public health) and the health development partners working in this field.
Featured Speakers
Keynote speeches
Maternal Immunization: Current state and the future
Prof. Paul Heath
Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Director of the Institute of Infection & Immunity / Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection (CNPI), City St. George’s, London, UK
Pathways to policy for maternal vaccines
Prof. Kirsty Le Doare
Professor of Vaccinology and Immunity, Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection (CNPI), Maternal and Neonatal Vaccinology Research Group, City St. George’s, London, UK
Sero-epidemiology and vaccine development: A synergistic approach
Dr. Gaurav Kwatra
Director, Laboratory for Specialized Clinical Studies, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA/ Adjunct Faculty (Prof), Department of Clinical Microbiology, CMC, Vellore, India
Invited talks
Burden of RSV and approach to prevention
Dr. Simon Drysdale
Associate Professor and Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Children’s Hospital, Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Laboratory methods to diagnose RSV for National surveillance
Balkrishna Awal
Joint Senior Medical Lab Technologist, Nepal Public Health Laboratory, Government of Nepal
Burden of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in South Asia and Diagnostic challenges
Sreska Shrestha
Deputy Chief Medical Lab Technologist, National Public Health Laboratory, Government of Nepal
Research Presentations
1) GBS study in Nepal: Knowledge state, methodological challenges and opportunities
2) Antenatal care attendance patterns across six countries: Implications for national planning and roll-out of new maternal vaccines
Dr. Suraj Bhattarai
Clinician Scientist and Director, GlohMed, Nepal/ IMPRINT Network & LSHTM, UK
Prevalence of RSV among Nepali children
Dr. Rupesh Shrestha
Associate Professor & Paediatrician, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Cost of illness due to RSV in children
Dr. Ram Hari Chapagain
Associate Professor/ Consultant Paediatrician, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Nepal
Neonatal sepsis and rising AMR: A warning bell
Dr. Anjila Ghimire
Neonatologist, Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital, Kathmandu
Assessing immunity to GBS
Olwenn Daniel
Senior Research Scientist in Vaccinology, Infection and Immunity Institute, City St. George’s, UK
Neonatal Infections: Pathogens, susceptibility and antibiotic protocol in NICU
Dr. Suchita Joshi
Neonatologist, Mediciti Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal
Perinatal Infections: Screening, antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment (PeriNAMS study, RSTMH)
Dr. Rabin Thami
Research Fellow, GlohMed/ MSc student, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
Organizing Committee
Dr. Suraj Bhattarai
GlohMed/ LSHTM
Dr. Rabin Thami
GlohMed/ LSTM
Sonika Shrestha
GlohMed
Austin Marfoldi
GlohMed/ UCL London
Sashi Basyal
GlohMed/ MMIHS
Sujal Gurung
GlohMed
Prof. Paul Heath
City St. George’s
Prof. Kirsty Le Doare
City St. George’s
Uzma Khan
City St. George’s
Alisa Azhar
City St. George’s
Dr. Kalpana Subedi
Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital
Dr. Anjila Ghimire
Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital
Dr. Pritha Adhikari
Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital
Programme Schedule
Audience: Clinicians, researchers, laboratory scientists, immunization stakeholders and government officials
Day 1 (6th November, Thursday)
| Speaker | Time | Event Details |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:30 |
Registration |
|
| 9:30 – 9:35 | Welcome, network aims and objectives</span > – Organizers | |
| 9:35 – 9:45 |
Guest introductions and remarks
|
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| 9:45 – 10:10 |
Setting the scene: Documentary by GlohMed Maternal Immunization in Nepal: Triumphs and Targets |
|
 |
10:10 – 10:40Q&A 10 minutes |
Keynote speech Maternal Immunization: Current state and the future Prof. Paul Heath – Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Director of the Institute of Infection & Immunity / Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection (CNPI), City St. George’s, London, UK |
SESSION 1: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)Moderators: Dr. Kalpana Subedi – Neonatologist, Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital / Member, Perinatal Society of Nepal / Member, National Immunization Advisory Committee |
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 |
10:40 – 11:15 Q&A 10 minutes |
Invited talk Burden of RSV and approach to prevention Dr. Simon Drysdale – Associate Professor and Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Children’s Hospital, Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom |
 |
11:15 – 11:30Q&A 5 minutes |
Invited talk Laboratory methods to diagnose RSV for National surveillance Balkrishna Awal – Joint Senior Medical Lab Technologist, Nepal Public Health Laboratory, Government of Nepal |
 |
11:30 – 11:45Q&A 5 minutes |
Research presentation (RSV GOLD III – ICU Network study) Prevalence of RSV among Nepali children Dr. Rupesh Shrestha – Associate Professor & Paediatrician, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal |
| 11:45 – 12:00 |
Tea / Coffee break |
|
SESSION 2: Group B StreptococcusModerator: Dr. Gaurav Kwatra – Director, Laboratory for Specialized Clinical Studies, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA |
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12:00 – 12:15 Q&A 5 minutes |
Invited talk Burden of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in South Asia and Diagnostic challenges Sreska Shrestha – Deputy Chief Medical Lab Technologist, National Public Health Laboratory, Government of Nepal (TBC) |
 |
12:15 – 12:40Q&A 5 minutes |
Research presentation Assessing immunity to GBS Olwenn Daniel – Senior Research Scientist in Vaccinology, Infection and Immunity Institute, City St. George’s, UK |
 |
12:40 – 13:00Q&A 5 minutes |
Research presentation (Nepal GBS pilot study) GBS study in Nepal: Knowledge state, methodological challenges and opportunities Dr. Suraj Bhattarai – GBS study team |
| 13:00 – 14:00 |
Lunch break |
|
Session 3: Vaccine policy and planningModerator: Dr. Kiran Tiwari – Consultant Paediatrician & Medical Superintendent, Dhaulagiri Hospital, Gandaki Province |
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 |
14:00 – 14:30Q&A 5 minutes |
Keynote speech (virtual, 9:15 UK time) Pathways to policy for maternal vaccines Prof. Kirsty Le Doare – Professor of Vaccinology and Immunity, Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection (CNPI), Maternal and Neonatal Vaccinology Research Group, City St. George’s, London, UK |
|
14:30 – 14:45Q&A 5 minutes |
Research presentation (Get Ready, Get Real study) Antenatal care attendance patterns across six countries: Implications for national planning and roll-out of new maternal vaccines Dr. Suraj Bhattarai – Clinician Scientist and Director, GlohMed, Nepal/ IMPRINT Network & LSHTM, UK |
 |
14:45 – 15:00Q&A 5 minutes |
Research presentation (RSV GOLD III – ICU Network study) Cost of illness due to RSV in children Dr. Ram Hari Chapagain – Associate Professor and Consultant Paediatrician, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Nepal |
Session 4: Vaccine ImmunologyModerator: Dr. Karishma Malla Vaidya – Department of Pathology, Bharatpur Hospital |
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 |
15:00 – 15:45Q&A 5 minutes |
Keynote speech Sero-epidemiology and vaccine development: A synergistic approach Dr. Gaurav Kwatra – Director, Laboratory for Specialized Clinical Studies, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA/ Adjunct Faculty (Prof), Department of Clinical Microbiology, CMC, Vellore, India |
| 15:45 – 16:00 |
Tea / Coffee break |
|
Session 5: Infections and antimicrobials (PANEL SESSION)Moderator: Prof. Paul Heath |
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 |
16:00 – 16:15 |
Research presentation I Neonatal sepsis and rising AMR: A warning bell Dr. Anjila Ghimire – Neonatologist, Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital, Kathmandu |
 |
16:15 – 16:30 |
Research presentation II (virtual, 10:30 UK time) Perinatal Infections: Screening, antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment (PeriNAMS study, RSTMH) Dr. Rabin Thami – Research Fellow, GlohMed/ MSc student, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK |
 |
16:30 – 16:45 |
Research presentation III Neonatal Infections: Pathogens, susceptibility and antibiotic protocol in NICU Dr. Suchita Joshi – Neonatologist, Mediciti Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal |
| 16:45 – 17:00 | Q&A | |
| 17:00 – 17:10 | Felicitation of speakers and closing | |
| 18:00 – 20:00 |
Networking dinner |
|
Day 2 (7th November, Friday)
AMMUNet workshop
Objective – To develop national and regional studies on emerging and priority pathogens associated with maternal and neonatal infections.
Session 6: Research Opportunities(Small group meeting with investigators and implementers) Faculty:
Other faculty to be listed | |
Pre-reads to be sent (policy papers, reports, articles) and feedback collected in advance Discussion format:
| |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | Topic 1: Country preparedness for vaccines against emerging and priority pathogens in neonates (RSV, GBS, Pertussis, MDR Klebsiella, Diptheria, Adenovirus, Influenza, etc.) |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Topic 2: Clinical trials and studies in mothers and newborns |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Tea / Coffee break |
| 12:15 – 13:30 | Visit to Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu
|