Nepal enhances IPC capacity through advanced training programme

Effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures protect both patients and health workers by minimizing the burden of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) and containing the spread of drug-resistant microorganisms.

Recognizing its importance for public health, Nepal has taken a step toward improving patient safety and health-care quality by completing the first cohort of the Advanced IPC training programme. This follows the endorsement of Nepal’s National Health-care-associated Infection (HAI) Surveillance Standard Operating Procedure in November 2025.

Practical sessions at the advanced Infection Prevention and Control training held in Bagmati province, Nepal. Photo credit: WHO Nepal

The programme was implemented by the National Health Training Center (NHTC) under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety, in collaboration with the Nursing and Social Security Division (NSSD), Nepal's national focal unit for infection prevention and control, and supported by WHO Country Office for Nepal through the Pandemic Fund to strengthen IPC practices, enhance healthcare-associated infection surveillance and improve the safety and quality of health-care services.

Conducted from 8 April-18 May 2026, the first cohort brought together 16 health-care professionals from all seven provinces. The hybrid programme combined 28 days of online learning with eight days of hands-on training at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, equipping participants with practical IPC skills. Selected participants will go on to train other health workers across the country.

The training addresses key gaps identified in recent national and international assessments, including the 2022 COVID-19 Intra-Action Review, the 2022 Joint External Evaluation and an external WHO evaluation conducted by the WHO IPC-COVID-19 Response Team in 2024. The reviews emphasized the need to maintain and strengthen IPC measures, improve surveillance systems and invest in workforce development.

In response, the NHTC has updated its existing IPC training package to create a standardized advanced curriculum with WHO support. A key component of this updated programme is the integration of national HAI surveillance protocols based on global standards. This is designed to help health-care facilities improve infection monitoring, generate reliable data and respond more effectively to infection risks.

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

The initiative also aligns with global commitments under the World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution WHA75.13 and the Global Strategy on Infection Prevention and Control, which emphasize strengthening the IPC system,  enhancing health worker competencies through specialized training and improving data-driven surveillance systems.

By building on Nepal's growing network of health workers trained in IPC, the programme provides advanced-level learning opportunities to strengthen leadership, surveillance, auditing and outbreak response capacities. It also supports competency-based training across sectors, contributing to the One Health approach that recognizes the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment.

A group photo of the trained participants. Photo credit: WHO Nepal

"Integrating competency-based training with updated HAI surveillance protocols will help address critical gaps in IPC leadership and specialized expertise. We remain committed to expanding this transformative programme across all provinces and health worker groups to strengthen specialized expertise in infection prevention, surveillance and outbreak response, and ensure a prepared and resilient health-care workforce," said Dr Prakash Prasad Shah, NHTC Director.

"This training reflects the country's commitment to protecting both patients and health workers while applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO Nepal will continue to support the NHTC towards the nationwide scale-up of the training, strengthen surveillance systems, provide technical guidance for the implementation of the SOP, and support the mentoring and supervision of trained IPC professionals," said Dr Allison Gocotano, Acting WHO Representative to Nepal.