In Nepal, a woman treks over mountains to bring COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable

With a cold box firmly strapped to her back, 32-year-old Birma Devi Kunwar routinely treks about 20 kilometers — through bridges, hills, and valleys — to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to a remote health center in Nepal’s far-west.

She’s been treading the same path towards the cut-off village of Pipalchauri for four years. She first started carrying life-saving vaccines used in routine immunizations for kids, which she has continued to do throughout the pandemic, too.