Nepal's Parliament moves towards establishing a National TB Caucus

Nepal has taken an important step towards strengthening parliamentary action on tuberculosis (TB), with senior lawmakers reaffirming their commitment to establish a National TB Caucus and increase domestic investment in TB prevention and care.

On 9 October 2026, the Finance Committee and the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee of Nepal's House of Representatives convened a joint meeting in Kathmandu, supported by the Global TB Caucus.

The meeting brought together parliamentary leaders, government officials and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to advance Nepal's national TB response and prepare for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Health and Finance Committee Chairs Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 5 November 2026.

Co-chaired by Hon. Dr. Krishna Hari Budhathoki, Chairperson of the Finance Committee, and Hon. Dr. Ojaswee Sherchand, Chairperson of the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee, the discussions focused on strengthening political accountability, mobilising domestic resources and improving coordination across government.

Strengthening political leadership and domestic financing

Opening the meeting, Hon. Dr. Budhathoki emphasised the importance of sustainable health financing and the relationship between public health investment and economic productivity.

Hon. Dr. Sherchand called for stronger collaboration between parliamentary committees, government ministries and health institutions to ensure that policy commitments translate into effective services.

Both chairs reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a National TB Caucus, which would bring parliamentarians together to strengthen legislative oversight, advocate for sustained financing and hold decision-makers accountable for progress towards ending TB.

The proposed Caucus would provide a dedicated parliamentary platform for maintaining TB as a national political priority and strengthening cooperation across sectors.

Building on Nepal's innovations in TB prevention and care

Dr. Guna Nidhi Sharma, Director of the National Tuberculosis Control Center (NTCC), presented Nepal's progress in TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

He highlighted the country's decentralised TB-Free Palika initiative, which places local governments at the centre of the TB response, alongside advances in artificial intelligence-supported chest X-ray screening and shorter, all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.

These approaches demonstrate how Nepal is working to bring TB services closer to communities and improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment.

However, challenges remain in reaching people with undiagnosed TB, reducing the financial hardship experienced by affected households and sustaining national programmes as external financing changes.

WHO representatives welcomed Nepal's progress, particularly the role of local governments in strengthening accountability and integrating TB services into primary health care.

Dr. Kenza Bennani, WHO Nepal's Team Lead for Communicable Diseases, highlighted Nepal's strong treatment success rates and recognised the TB-Free Palika approach as an important example of local leadership in the region.

WHO Acting Representative Dr. Allison Gocotano also shared his personal experience of surviving TB, underscoring the importance of addressing stigma and protecting the dignity of people affected by the disease. He emphasised the economic value of investing in TB prevention and care.

UNDP's Dr. Karma Tsultim Gurung outlined ongoing support for portable AI-assisted chest X-ray screening, rapid molecular diagnostics and improved TB screening in healthcare facilities. He also highlighted opportunities to strengthen TB detection through closer coordination between health services and labour migration systems.

Taking Nepal's experience to the regional stage

Nepal confirmed its parliamentary participation in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Health and Finance Committee Chairs Meeting in Bali, with both committee chairs set to lead the delegation.

The regional meeting will provide an opportunity for Nepal to share its experience with TB-Free Palika, learn from neighbouring countries and explore how parliamentary leadership can accelerate progress towards ending TB.

The discussions also recognised the importance of stronger coordination between the Ministry of Health and Food Safety, the Ministry of Labour and local governments to improve TB detection and reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

Madhusudan Kaphle, Global TB Caucus Consultant in Nepal, welcomed the parliamentary commitment and outlined the Caucus's ongoing support for youth leaders advocating for dedicated TB budgets at municipal level.

Turning political commitment into action

Following the meeting, work will continue towards formally establishing Nepal's National TB Caucus, including developing its terms of reference, identifying founding members and agreeing a launch date.

The Global TB Caucus will also work with parliamentary leaders and technical partners to support Nepal's preparations for Bali and strengthen engagement on TB financing, diagnosis and community-level action.

Nepal's growing parliamentary leadership reflects the importance of bringing health and finance decision-makers together. Sustained political commitment, stronger domestic financing and coordinated action across government will be essential to ensuring that everyone affected by TB can access the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care they need.

The Global TB Caucus remains committed to supporting Nepal's parliamentarians as they turn this commitment into action and build the political will to #endTB.