Kathmandu: The Asian Spinal Cord Network (ASCoN), the network of 75 member organisations across 18 countries of the Asian continent, has announced this year’s ASCoN Star Award to Esha Thapa, Executive Director of Spinal Injury Sangha Nepal (SISN). The ASCoN Star Award, initiated in 2015, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of spinal cord injury (SCI) services and support. This accolade was first awarded to Valerie A Taylor, Founder of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP), Bangladesh, and has since become an annual tradition to honor exemplary dedication in SCI management.
Thapa, a prominent figure in the health and disability sector for over two decades, has been instrumental in fostering transformative rehabilitation services and empowering persons with spinal cord injury in Nepal. “We recognize Ms. Thapa for her exceptional contribution and unwavering dedication to improving spinal cord injury services in Nepal and across Asia through knowledge-exchange and capacity-building. Her work exemplifies the spirit of innovation, compassion and resilience that ASCoN strives to inspire across its network,” said ASCoN in its statement.
Under Thapa’s leadership, SISN—established in 2001—has emerged as a beacon of hope for individuals with SCI in Nepal. SISN’s initiatives, the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) and the Vocational Opportunity for Inclusion in the Community and Employment (VOICE) Centre, have collectively impacted over 4500 lives of persons with SCI. ASCoN, founded in 2001, continues to play a critical role in connecting organizations and stakeholders across Asia. It is an affiliated society of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS). The annual ASCoN conference, whose 2024 edition just concluded in Nepal, serves as a platform for government policymakers, medical professionals and advocates to collaborate and promote policies and practices that improve the lives of persons with SCI.
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