Tuberculosis and Infectious Disease Campaigns

Nepal's provincial governments allocated substantial budgets for healthcare improvements in fiscal year 2026-27, focusing on hospital upgrades, rural health service expansion, and specialist care. Karnali Province targets hospital transformation including telemedicine, while Lumbini Province funds hospital expansion and maternal care services.

Nepal has not introduced a dengue vaccine despite increasing infections and deaths. Discussions with the World Health Organization and experts remain inconclusive due to vaccine efficacy concerns against all four dengue serotypes prevalent in Nepal.

Nepal's Department of Health Services launched a nationwide alert system and deployed digital surveillance for monsoon-related diseases like cholera and scrub typhus. Over 200 health workers received epidemic response training, supported by a dedicated 30 crore rupee budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Free Health Portal launched by Nepal's Ministry of Health has served over 1,200 poor patients by providing updated information on free hospital beds and healthcare services. Nationwide, more than 23,000 hospital beds are available, with over 2,300 free beds accessible through the portal.

Nepal has recorded over 900 dengue infections across 68 districts in 2026, including in mountain regions and Kathmandu Valley where dengue was previously uncommon. Health officials warn of a likely surge in cases after monsoon rains begin, increasing mosquito breeding sites.

Stigma and discrimination against HIV and tuberculosis patients remain significant issues in Nepal despite progress in treatment and prevention. Over 34,000 individuals live with HIV, with ongoing challenges in viral load suppression and long-term treatment success.

Nepal launched the Nepal Clean Air and Prosperity Project with USD 57 million funding from the World Bank, targeting annual reductions of 500 metric tons of PM-2.5 and 110,000 tons of greenhouse gases, aiming to improve air quality and promote green industrial transformation in Kathmandu Valley and Terai regions.

Construction started on the Nepal-India Friendship Hospital in Humla, Karnali Province, funded by the Government of India with approximately 14.8 crore rupees. The project aims to enhance access to modern health services for local residents in this remote mountainous region.

Public health facilities across Nepal, including the main referral hospital in Kathmandu, are experiencing severe shortages of rabies vaccines, turning away many patients and increasing risks of preventable rabies deaths. The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has stopped vaccine procurement, leaving responsibility to local and provincial authorities amid ongoing shortages.

Nepal mandated that Pregabalin and certain other medicines now require prescriptions to prevent misuse and improve pharmaceutical regulation. Importers and wholesalers must keep detailed transaction records and report biannually to the Department of Drug Administration.

Hospitals in districts across Nepal face critical shortages of rabies vaccine, causing over 500 daily patients to seek doses at Kathmandu's Sukraraj Hospital, which itself has limited supply insufficient for a week. The federal Ministry of Health has not supplied doses for months, increasing risks of rabies deaths amid reliance on provincial and private procurement.

The Nepal government plans to vaccinate residents in 11 high-burden districts against Japanese encephalitis in the upcoming fiscal year, targeting areas with the highest cases due to funding constraints. In 2025, 41 deaths and 141 infections were reported across 45 districts, mostly in hill regions.

Nepal plans to allocate Rs15 billion to revive the National Health Insurance Programme for fiscal year 2026-27 addressing underfunding and governance challenges. The scheme aims to improve universal health coverage by 2030 amid current outpatient service and medicine shortages in public hospitals.

The H5N1 bird flu virus is spreading across 10 districts in Nepal, affecting 55 farms with over 479,000 birds culled. The outbreak threatens the Rs 60 billion poultry sector and the livelihoods of over 63,000 workers, including impacts in Kathmandu Valley.

Health Minister Nisha Mehta directed actions to ensure smooth medicine supply, expedite licensing, conduct on-site supplier monitoring, and order quality testing of generic medicines distributed for free and via health insurance schemes.

Tuberculosis causes 53 deaths per 100,000 people annually with about 67,000 new cases and 16,000 deaths per year. The government plans to expand the Tuberculosis-Free Nepal campaign to 256 local levels in the next fiscal year to eradicate the disease by 2050.

The monsoon season triggers outbreaks of waterborne and vector-borne diseases like dengue, cholera, and typhoid across Nepal, including expanded risk zones in hills and Kathmandu Valley. Effective prevention requires integrated water safety, sanitation, surveillance, and local government action.

Five people died in various disaster incidents within 24 hours across Rautahat, Bara, Kapilvastu, and Rolpa districts, including three snakebite fatalities and two boys swept away by flash floods. These fatalities emphasize urgent health and safety risks during the monsoon season.

Nepal's Ministry of Health formed rapid response teams at all local levels and implemented a national monsoon preparedness plan focused on management of medicines, health supplies, and public awareness to combat monsoon-related health issues.

Nine districts in Nepal reported measles outbreaks over five months due to immunisation gaps, infecting over 300 children and youths. Health officials plan ring vaccination campaigns amid vaccine shortages.

Nepal's 2026-27 budget emphasizes health reforms targeting coverage of 90 percent of citizens with health insurance within three years and strengthening Nepal Drugs Limited. The budget also includes major infrastructure projects and prepares for future AI integration.

BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital faces shortages of key chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and cisplatin due to global supply issues, impacting treatment for about 200 daily patients. This has heightened risks of substandard drug use and compromised patient care.

Measles outbreaks continue in seven Nepalese districts with over 300 children infected amid severe vaccine shortages. Emergency vaccination efforts are constrained by limited vaccine supply and delayed deliveries, intensifying public health risks.

Nepal currently has no hospitals equipped to handle Ebola cases, lacking designated treatment centers and proper disinfection systems. The health system's fragility raises concerns amid ongoing outbreaks and increased risk from international arrivals.

Seventy people died and 333 were injured in 1,342 disaster-related incidents across Nepal over 40 days, including altitude sickness with 16 deaths and fires affecting 488 households. This highlights significant public safety challenges amid ongoing monsoon conditions.