Photoshare 2007 Development Photography Award

Ashok Bhurtyal is an enthusiastic amateur photographer and rural health worker in Nepal who believes photography is an important tool for improving health and saving lives. During frequent trips to remote places in his country, Bhurtyal has documented the health of rural Nepali people through photographs taken with either a borrowed or rented camera. Bhurtyal says, “I never lose patience and spend a lot of energy to make decisions on taking snapshots.” In speaking about photography, Bhurtyal says, it “reveals the expression of rural people, their connectedness to nature and the enormous opportunities for health promotion.” Photography can be used to “generate an understanding of the situation of rural Nepali people among the influential people and the public at large. I believe this understanding will prompt health activities and collaboration between the health and development sectors,” says Bhurtyal.

In his work as an undergraduate in public health and later with Physicians for Social Responsibility, Bhurtyal focused on understanding local people’s health needs in both sociocultural and geographical contexts. Now partnered with friends and teachers in his own organization, People’s Health Initiative, Bhurtyal works to “revive indigenous health systems and support rural people to increase access to modern medical and public health services through training of health workers.” Bhurtyal is also currently working on a Masters of Public Health Course at Tribhuvan University, Institute of Medicine, and plans to continue using both his photography skills and his relationships with policy makers and health leaders to broadcast the health needs of rural Nepali people.

Photoshare is excited to honor Ashok Bhurtyal as a part of our efforts to provide the tools and resources needed to advance the role of photography in health communication programs.

Nepal - A Sampling of Photos Submitted by Ashok Bhurtyal