HAPSA Nepal Launches CERT App to Strengthen Community Emergency Response in Schools

HAPSA Nepal launched its Community Emergency Response Toolkit (CERT) mobile app at Durbar High School, along with its first hands-only CPR and choking first aid training for teachers and students. Developed with technical support from Sadak Saathi, the app provides easy-to-follow Nepali-language videos on emergency care, including choking, bleeding, burns, fractures, poisoning, and cardiac arrest. The content is adapted from Global Health Media Project and validated by HAPSA’s medical experts.

HAPSA, a nonprofit promoting equitable emergency care in rural Nepal, aims to build nationwide readiness by integrating lifesaving skills into the school curriculum. During the event, 40 teachers and students participated in hands-on training led by emergency physicians Dr. Ramu Kharel and Dr. Kamal Thapa. Experts highlighted the importance of quick community response, trauma care basics, and broader disaster preparedness.

The program was attended by representatives from the Police, Armed Police Force, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders. HAPSA, which has already trained 650 APF personnel, is working with the government to introduce CPR and first aid modules in public schools. The CERT app will further extend these essential skills to schools, police units, and communities across Nepal.