The Ministry of Health and Food Safety (MoHFS), with technical support from WHO Nepal, has trained 335 medical doctors as Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) Investigation Officers (VIOs), building sustainable local capacity to detect, investigate and respond to disease outbreaks across the country. With this, nearly 70 per cent of municipalities have successfully trained VIOs.
/countries/nepal/untitled-design-(1)1662f9b6-fb32-45c2-8608-402779ed3209.png?sfvrsn=29949ad3_3 "Participants engage in group discussions during a training in Bagmati Province, Nepal, to strengthen municipal doctors' capacity for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance")
Participants engage in group discussions during a training in Bagmati Province, Nepal, to strengthen municipal doctors' capacity for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance. Photo credit: WHO Nepal
The trainings were conducted in five provinces—Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, and Sudurpashchim—through the Family Welfare Division (FWD) under the Department of Health Services (DoHS) between May and June 2026. The training combined technical presentations, simulation exercises and hands-on case investigations. It equipped municipal VIOs with the knowledge and skills to detect and investigate VPDs, verify suspected outbreaks and coordinate response efforts across municipal, district and provincial levels.
A key feature of the initiative was the local-level nomination process. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration initiated official communication with municipalities to nominate doctors, while provincial ministries coordinated with municipalities to finalize selections. This approach was critical because it ensured that municipalities themselves identified and endorsed the doctors who would serve as VIOs. By involving local governments directly, the process strengthened ownership, accountability, and sustainability of VPD surveillance at the community level, making municipalities active partners rather than passive recipients. It also aligned with Nepal’s broader polio transition agenda, embedding responsibility for disease surveillance within local governance structures.
/countries/nepal/untitled-design6824f118-fe11-4e16-9fb2-ae3b7809ee72.png?sfvrsn=2d535236_4 "Facilitators and participants actively engage in a training to strengthen municipal doctors' capacity for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance held in Bagmati Province, Nepal")
Facilitators and municipal doctors actively participating in the training. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/Sujan Govinda Amatya
Following the completion of the training, VIOs are already leading field investigations for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), suspected measles cases, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), Neonatal Tetanus and Diphtheria, thereby safeguarding their communities.
This initiative is also a part of Nepal’s broader transition towards a sustainable VPD surveillance system. To operationalize this vision, MoHFS is developing the VPD Transition Implementation Framework (2026–2030), which aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of VPD surveillance systems and outbreak response mechanisms.
WHO remains committed to providing supportive supervision, validating selected VPD case investigations, assisting in outbreak investigations and response, and offering technical assistance to strengthen VPD surveillance quality. These efforts will help Nepal achieve and sustain key VPD surveillance performance indicators.