The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) was established through the parliament act in 1991 with an aim to promote the quality and the ethical standard of health research in the country. The scope of the council is to approve, monitor, conduct and promote health research and improve use of health research in Nepal. The major duties and rights of NHRC are to formulate health research policy and to give a definite direction for the promotion, implementation, the management and the utilisation of all the aspects of the health research in Nepal including to specify the areas for health research.
Health research areas in Nepal have been set through rigorous and continuous process of review of different national documents, reports, health sector strategies, global action plan, global strategies, health research prioritisation of World Health Organization (WHO), several survey results and current scenario of diseases in the country. After review, the health research areas were discussed and finalised through workshops, consultative meetings as well as expert meetings and past/present policy maker’s meetings. In the course of finalisation, there has been involvement of various stakeholders of the relevant departments, divisions, centres, and hospitals within the Ministry of Health & Population (MoHP) including representatives from academic, non-government and civil society sectors.
The Global Health Network has partnered with the Nepal Public Health Foundation (NPHF) to establish The Global Health Network Nepal Centre for enabling research in every healthcare setting by sharing knowledge and methods.
Nepal Public Health Foundation (NPHF) was established in April 2010 by a group of public health specialists and activists as an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation. It was founded with the mission of ensuring civil society’s pro-active participation in public health via coordinated public health action, research, and policy dialogue for health development, particularly of the socioeconomically marginalised population. NPHF aims to prioritise public health action and research areas and facilitate interventions in collaboration with national and international partnerships, with special emphasis on building community capacity for healthcare. Through high-quality research, NPHF is committed to strengthening the health system by generating quality evidence for the policy formulation process. Health policy and system research, social determinants of health, nutrition, maternal, child, and sexual and reproductive health are its major focus areas. Since its inception, NPHF has taken initiatives to advocate for the relevant public health issues at the national and regional levels. Besides, it has established good linkages with academic institutions, civil society, and different non-governmental organisations.
OUR VISION
Ensuring health as the right & responsibility of the Nepali people.
OUR MISSION
Health efforts focusing on the socio-economic minorities.
OUR GOAL
Ensure proactive civil society involvement in public health.
GLOHMED is a research company registered with the Government of Nepal. It is an autonomous consortium of like-minded medical professionals and evidence-synthesising institutions, committed to advance clinical medicine and global health, with a long-term vision to improve quality of patient care and health outcomes in low-resource settings.
Our main goal is to generate local evidence in key issues of global health and clinical medicine, and advocate its utilisation by care providers, patients, government units and stakeholders.
From Fourteenth to Sixteenth Plans, Nepal faces new challenges such as climate change impacts and COVID-19 pandemic and focus to strengthening health infrastructure, enhancing healthcare financing mechanisms, promoting health equity, and integrating mental health services into mainstream healthcare provisions. Every, periodic plans are influenced by the issues. So far; further plans should focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), actions to cope with climate change health impacts, health technologies and probable health emergencies.
Fourteenth to Sixteenth Plans (2016-2029)
The Fourteenth Five-Year Plan laid the groundwork for a more comprehensive approach to healthcare delivery. It prioritised reducing maternal mortality rates, improving child immunisation coverage, and combating prevalent communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. The Plan also emphasised the need to strengthen the primary healthcare system and increase access to essential medicines. These objectives were underpinned by a commitment to equity, ensuring that healthcare services reached the most vulnerable populations, including those living in remote and marginalised communities along with set the priority for mental health services and disaster preparedness gained prominence (GoN, National Planning Commission, 2016).
Building upon the foundations established in the Fourteenth Plan, the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan (2020-2025) further refined the health agenda. It placed a greater emphasis on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), recognising their growing burden on the healthcare system. The Plan aimed to reduce mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. It also sought to promote healthy lifestyles and improve access to preventive care services. Additionally, the Fifteenth Plan recognised the importance of mental health and included strategies to address the mental health needs of the population. It integrates health as a cornerstone of human capital development and it emphasises digital health innovations, improving healthcare quality, and addressing health inequities (GoN, National Planning Commission, 2020). The Sixteenth Five-Year Plan (2025-2029) is poised to build upon the achievements of its predecessors and address emerging health challenges. It is expected to prioritise addressing the impact of climate change on health, including vector-borne diseases and water-borne illnesses. The plan will also focus on strengthening the health system’s resilience to disasters and emergencies. Furthermore, it is likely to emphasise the integration of health services with other development sectors, such as education, agriculture, and social protection, to promote holistic well-being.
Sources: https://nepjol.info/index.php/jjmr/article/download/75178/57622/217468, https://glohmed.org, The Global Health Network
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