Nepal Advances South–South Collaboration on Health Research at International Meeting in New Delhi
25th August, Kathmandu: The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), Nepal, joined regional
counterparts in New Delhi to strengthen South–South collaboration on health research and innovation
at the international meeting “Health Research and Innovations in Public Health: Exchange of Good
Practices across the RESEARCH Platform”, held from 20–22 August 2025.
The meeting was convened by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of
Health Research (DHR), the Government of India’s apex health research body, under the RESEARCH
(Regional Enabler for South East Asia Research Collaboration for Health) Platform. Delegations from
Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, India, and Nepal participated in this high-level gathering.
Dr. Pramod Joshi, Member Secretary – Executive Chief of NHRC, highlighted Nepal’s priorities in
maternal and child health, nutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He
emphasized that stronger regional collaboration is critical for building resilient health systems, stating:
“South–South collaboration allows us to learn from each other’s strengths. Nepal is committed to
advancing joint/ collaborative research that directly addresses the health needs of our people.”
During the meeting, delegates reached consensus on key areas for collaboration. Countries agreed to
work together on challenges such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), NCDs STEP survey, population-
based cancer registry (PBCR), and advancing the One Health approach. Joint initiatives in research
regulations & ethics, communicable diseases (recommencing research on dengue and capacity
building), health technology innovation, digital health, Ayurveda and traditional medicine,
environmental health, field epidemiology, implementation research & training, and quality assurance
were also identified as priorities. Delegates emphasised that regional collaboration is crucial for
strengthening R&D and developing world-class health devices and products.
Participants further committed to establishing formal mechanisms for research policy dialogue to
ensure that scientific evidence is effectively translated into health programmes and policies.
Looking ahead, countries agreed to establish structured mechanisms for collaboration, including
annual or biannual meetings, exchange visits, and joint capacity-building programmes in areas such as
research methods, ethics, grant writing, and science communication. The meeting concluded with a
collective pledge to move from knowledge-sharing to joint action, with each country exploring
opportunities to lead on specific themes such as dengue, maternal health, or medical innovation,
ensuring that regional health research directly responds to the shared needs and priorities of South
Asia.
