Communicable Disease Prevention

Nepal faces a significant burden of communicable diseases, influenced by limited healthcare access, inadequate sanitation, and socio-economic disparities. Tuberculosis remains a major public health concern, and HIV/AIDS — largely attributed to sexual transmission — affected an estimated 39,000 people as of 2015.

Waterborne diseases such as diarrhoeal illness remain a substantial part of the disease burden, alongside vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, which pose particular challenges during the monsoon season.

Respiratory infections including pneumonia and tuberculosis, malnutrition, maternal and child health issues, neglected tropical diseases such as soil-transmitted helminthiasis and lymphatic filariasis, and emerging infectious diseases all continue to affect communities across Nepal.

CDC-Nepal develops and implements programmes to prevent the spread of these diseases, including improving access to clean water, sanitation facilities, vaccination programmes, and hygiene promotion within communities.