National IHR Plan Workshop using the NAPHS tool held in Kathmandu

Nepal has taken an important step toward strengthening national health security and preparedness for public health emergencies through the development of its National International Health Regulations (IHR) plan.

The plan was finalized at a three-day workshop, jointly organized by the Department of Health Services and Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), and WHO Country Office for Nepal, with financial support from The Pandemic Fund. The plan utilized the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) tool.

Dignitaries from WHO and Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population at a national workshop held in Bagmati province, Nepal, to develop Nepal's International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) plan. Photo credit: WHO Nepal

More than 100 representatives from different ministries, health departments, laboratories, animal health, food safety, security forces, academia and development partners contributed to the planning process. The workshop reinforced a unified, multi-sectoral approach, including One Health actors to strengthening Nepal’s preparedness and response capacities for all hazards.

Technical groups drafted a consolidated National IHR plan featuring measurable 5-year strategic objectives and specific activities designed for implementation within a two-year timeline.

Building on JEE 2022 insights

Participants actively engaged in the workshop. Photo credit: WHO Nepal

The workshop drew on insights from the comprehensive Joint External Evaluation (JEE) carried out in 2022 using the updated third edition tool. This evaluation assessed Nepal’s capacities and identified key strengths in emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratories and workforce readiness alongside gaps requiring attention. These findings, complemented by other health system reviews, informed the actionable strategic objectives and prioritized activities across 19 technical areas now detailed in the national IHR plan.

Commitment from leadership

Dr Sudha Sharma Gautam, Honourable Minister of Health and Population, reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to advancing health security through adequate resource allocation and strong partnerships. She acknowledged WHO and The Pandemic Fund’s pivotal role in providing technical and financial support to achieve effective detection, assessment, reporting and response capabilities under the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation framework.

Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, lauded Nepal’s leadership, describing the country’s efforts as an example for the region. She emphasized that the National Action Plan for Health Security is a country-owned, multi-year, all-hazards plan aligning national and global frameworks. She also stated that, “Nepal has continuously invested in leadership and has demonstrated time and again that adversity can build strength.”

Dr. Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal, highlighted that National IHR Plan draws on evidence from IHR-MEF exercises, including the Joint External Evaluation (2022), State Party Annual Reporting, COVID-19 Intra-Action review and Nepal Health Sector simulation exercises to prioritize 533 government-endorsed recommendations. With Nepal’s 2024 SPAR score at 49, below regional and global averages, Dr Pandav emphasized that prioritizing actions under national IHR plan will align resources to achieve national targets of 50 by 2025, 70 by 2027 and 80 by 2030, ultimately enhancing the country’s ability to detect, assess, report and respond effectively to public health threats.

Key outcomes

• A country-led, multi-year planning process grounded in the One Health and whole-of-government approach.
• Development of a 5-year strategic action plan and a prioritized 24-month operational plan to address IHR core capacity gaps.
• Integration of human, animal, environmental, security and finance sectors into a unified national health security framework.
• Strengthened coordinated readiness for outbreaks, pandemics, natural disasters and other emergencies.

Path forward

Participants present at the workshop. Photo credit: WHO Nepal

The way forward will center on refining the proposed activities and ensuring their integration into the annual budgets and work plans of each sector, thereby embedding preparedness functions into routine systems rather than treating them as standalone initiatives. In the coming period, technical working groups will validate priority actions, align resource needs with national and subnational planning cycles, and strengthen coordination mechanisms to support joint implementation and monitoring.

This workshop marks a crucial advancement in Nepal’s journey to reinforce health security capacities, ensuring preparedness for all hazards through a coordinated, inclusive and sustainable national framework in the years ahead.