Nepal Health Economics Association - NHEA

20/08/2026

Refining indicators for tracking mental health policy implementation

How can we know whether mental health policies and programmes are actually making a difference? Having clear, practical and measurable indicators is an important part of the answer.

At a consultative workshop organized by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), Ministry of Health and Food Safety (MoHFS), in partnership with us and University of Washington, 55 representatives from government agencies, academia, professional associations, hospitals and civil society organisations came together in Kathmandu to review and prioritise indicators for monitoring mental health policy implementation.

A highlight of the workshop was the hands-on review of the shortlisted indicators, with participants working in five groups to discuss their relevance and feasibility, followed by an individual indicator rating exercise to capture each participant’s assessment.

Opening the workshop, Dr Pomawati Thapa, Senior Consultant Physician and Chief of EDCD’s NCD and Mental Health Section, highlighted an important challenge: “We actually have a lot of data, but the challenge lies in how to get that data to the policymakers.”

Similarly, the research looks beyond the health sector, covering areas such as education, social security, law and criminal justice. Dr Krishna Aryal of NHEA and the University of Bergen, who leads the project, said the process is examining the feasibility of the proposed indicators, availability of data and coordination across sectors. An online stakeholder survey will also gather further feedback.

The consultation marked another important step in a wider process. An initial pool of more than 200 indicators has been narrowed to 27, with 10 priority indicators presented to stakeholders for detailed review, scoring and rating.

Dr Guna Nidhi Sharma, Chief of MoHFS' Policy, Planning and Research Division, stressed that indicators must be practical: “It’s not just about saying, ‘I wish we had this indicator.’ It also needs to be coordinated and should be feasible and usable.”

According to senior researcher Dr Binaya Chalise, feedback from the consultation will complement an ongoing landscape analysis of mental health policies, strategies and national guiding documents.

Implemented in Nepal, Colombia and Uganda, the research allows each country to adapt the indicators to its own context. The next stage will further refine the priority indicators based on stakeholder feedback, with the aim of strengthening how progress in mental health policy implementation is measured and used to inform decision-making.

05/08/2026

Huge congratulations to all the fellows on successfully completing the year-long Health Economics for Policy Fellowship!

The fellowship brought together 33 officials working in federal and provincial governments, particularly those involved in health planning and policymaking, as well as the representatives from universities. It provided a platform for learning, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Our sincere appreciation to Ministry of Health and Food Safety, KUSMS, World Health Organization Nepal, World Bank Nepal, Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS at Universitetet i Bergen, Norad and all who contributed to making this fellowship a success.

The fellowship comprised following three modules that combined face-to-face learning with hands-on experiential learning project that enabled participants to apply theoretical concepts of health economics and financing to real-world health policy and decision-making.

27/07/2026

Nepal’s first-of-its-kind year-long Health Economics for Policy Fellowship!

The fellowship is designed to give decision-makers the skills to use economic evidence in health planning, and decision making. It addresses a major gap in formal training on health economics with participants gaining hands-on experience in cost analysis, economic evaluation, health financing, strategic priority setting and translating evidence into policy-relevant communication, aimed at helping the country progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

In Nepal, aligning health sector priorities with available resources has never been more important, especially as the country faces tough choices about which services to cover, how to maintain quality, and how to protect vulnerable groups from high health costs.

Ministry of Health KUSMS World Health Organization Nepal Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS Universitetet i Bergen Norad Nepal Health Research Council

A health economics for policy fellowship aimed at strengthening health authorities’ capacity to translate evidence into policy-relevant communication began in Dhulikhel today.

25/07/2026

The Health Economics for Policy Fellowship entered Module III: Evidence Communication today in Dhulikhel. Around 40 officials from federal and provincial governments together with representatives from universities joined the programme.

The programme is part of the year-long Health Economics for Policy Fellowship, the first initiative of its kind in the country. Now in Module III: Evidence Communication, the fellowship builds on the foundations established in the previous two modules. Module I introduced participants to the relationship between health economics and policymaking and explored its application in health policies and programmes. Module II focused on healthcare financing and the practical use of health economic analysis. Across all three modules, participants engage in face-to-face learning sessions and experiential projects that connect theory with practice.

The fellowship is organised by the Ministry of Health and Food Safety (MoHFS- Ministry of Health) with technical support from the Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS at the University of Bergen (UiB) through NHEA and KUSMS in partnership with the World Health Organization Nepal and World Bank Nepal. It serves as a key activity under the capacity-strengthening component of the Norad-funded project on priority setting for universal health coverage in Nepal, a collaborative initiative between MoHFS and UiB's BCEPS.

The Module III is designed to provide policy makers working at federal and sub-national levels, with practical policy communication skills to support the use of health economics evidence in decision-making. Among others, it covers translating scientific evidence into policy-relevant messages, understanding financial hardship in the evolving health financing context, costing methodologies and experiences in costing candidate interventions for the basic health service package, and preparing policy briefs and evidence summaries.

19/06/2026

📢 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

We are seeking applications from qualified professionals for the following short-term consultancy positions under the Nepal Chapter of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health project, supported by GIZ Nepal:

🔹 Thematic Lead
🔹 Data Analysis Coordinator
🔹 Research Associate

This initiative aims to generate evidence and policy recommendations for a more equitable and efficient health system in Nepal under the theme "Spending Wisely in Health."

If you have experience in health economics, public health research, data analysis, policy or related fields, please apply.

📍 Kathmandu-based positions
📅 Application deadline: 28 June 2026

For detailed Terms of Reference, qualifications, and application requirements, please visit our website:

🔗 https://www.nheanepal.org/news

NHEA seeks a Data Analysis Coordinator for the Nepal CIH project. Expert-level proficiency in Stata/R/Python required. Apply by 28th June 2026.

23/04/2026

We had productive discussions today and yesterday with Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS) on several aspects of our project, “Evidence-Informed Priority Setting for Universal Health Coverage in Nepal,” including the development of our joint work plan.

The Norad-funded project places strong emphasis on collaboration. As a key strategic partner in the country, KUSMS plays an important role in shaping the direction of our joint initiative. Our discussions focused on developing a shared work plan, with a mutual commitment to working together on this journey through to 2030.

This initiative aims to support the country’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by strengthening health decision-making so that it becomes more evidence-informed, equitable, and efficient. Under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Population, this collaborative effort brings together NHEA and KUSMS in partnership with Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS at the University of Bergen, Norway.

The project envisions a future in which health resources are used wisely, decisions are grounded in robust evidence, and every Nepali citizen has access to essential health services, bringing the country measurably closer to achieving UHC.

Those present on the occasion included KUSMS Dean Prof. Dr. Manoj Humagain, BCEPS Senior Researcher Dr. Krishna Aryal, NHEA Chair Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, and KUSMS Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Birajman Karmacharya, among others.



Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel World Health Organization Nepal Nepal Health Research Council

07/04/2026

Today, on , under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science”, we remind everyone that strong health systems are built on evidence, collaboration, and trust in science.

Science helps us make better decisions for people’s health. By using evidence to guide policies and priorities, we can move closer to Universal Health Coverage and ensure that everyone has access to essential health services.

The approach reminds us that human, animal, and environmental health are deeply connected. Working together across sectors and using scientific knowledge is key to protecting our communities and our planet.

At NHEA, we are committed to supporting evidence-informed decision-making, strengthening national capacity, and promoting the use of science in policy.

On this World Health Day, let us , work together, and build a healthier and more equitable future for all across Nepal.

Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal World Health Organization Nepal Nepal Health Research Council Nisha Mehta Singh Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS

31/03/2026

Sharing key findings from Burden of Disease & Probability of Premature Death analyses with GoN officials

27/03/2026

Congratulations to the new government under Rt. Hon. B***ndra Shah (B***n), along with other ministers including Minister for Minister for Health and Population, and Water Supply Hon. Nisha Mehta Singh.

We look forward to strong leadership that promotes fair, transparent, and evidence-informed decisions in health. Initiatives like “Evidence Informed Priority Setting for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nepal” can support the journey toward UHC to ensure that every citizen has access to essential health services.
Wishing the new government success in building a healthier and more equitable Nepal.

We stand ready to collaborate and contribute to key priority areas, including generating evidence for basic health care services, building national capacity in health economics, and promoting the use of evidence in policy.

Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS

Photo source: Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

26/03/2026

New burden of disease (BoD) and probability of premature death (PPD) analyses were presented to senior health officials from federal and provincial governments, with a call to make effective use of these findings to co-create evidence-driven health system reforms.

The BoD and PPD analyses aim to generate evidence to guide the country’s future health system using systems thinking and political economy analysis. The findings, among others, highlight shifting health priorities, identify current implementation bottlenecks, and underscore the need to revisit existing health policies. The analyses drew on data from the 2023 Global Burden of Disease Study and the country’s 2021 National Population and Housing Census. Additional data sources included the Health Management Information System, various national surveys, and hospital statistics.

The findings were presented to senior health officials from federal and provincial governments at an event in Lalitpur on Wednesday. The analyses were conducted as a foundational assessment of Nepal’s health status under the PPD analytical component of the Nepal Chapter of The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health (Nepal CIH). This work was part of the Dialogue for Innovation and Impact project, implemented by HERD International in coordination with Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal and Nepal Health Economics Association. The initiative was supported by the British Embassy Kathmandu (BEK) in partnership with Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health - BCEPS at the University of Bergen, Norway.

Among those present at the event were MoHP Secretary Dr. Bikash Devkota, department heads from the ministry, focal persons from health sector agencies across all seven provincial governments, and Chair of Health Development Partners and BEK Health Advisor Dr. Deepak Karki.

Stay tuned for more updates on our work on BoD and PPD!

UK in Nepal Nepal Health Research Council World Health Organization Nepal Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)