IpreventNCD project updates
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The IpreventNCD project directs its efforts towards the greatest public health impact through structural interventions and sustainability. Objectives have been agreed amongst collaborators, including MoHP, from the start, and user involvement is considered crucial.
Summer and autumn 2026
Co-design of implementation strategies completed.
The IpreventNCD team has completed the co-design process for Work Package 2 (WP2) in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot. Between May and July 2026, pregnant and post-pregnant women, nursing staff, and health system managers and health workers took part in a series of workshops to develop context-specific strategies to prevent NCD risk among women during pregnancy and after childbirth.
The co-design process resulted in a final implementation strategy package to facilitate tailored information provision on healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight management among pregnant and post-pregnant women.
The co-designed strategies are guiding the development phase now which will then be taken forward for testing and evaluation in Work Package 3 (WP3), led by University of Queensland.
Spring 2025
Data collection begins
The formative data collection for the IpreventNCD project has officially commenced. The data collection involves key informant interviews with policy makers, health administrators, health coordinators, and health facility in-charges, as well as focus group discussions with nursing staffs, female community health volunteers, and pregnant and post-pregnant women. Additionally, information on service provision from health facilities within the municipality is being collected.
The project team in Nepal has successfully completed data collection in Gorkha urban municipality and Shahid Lakhan rural municipality of Gorkha district, and Bidur urban municipality of Nuwakot district. Preparations are currently underway for data collection activities in Sarlahi district.
IpreventNCD project team meets in Nepal
The IpreventNCD project team from Australia, Norway, and Nepal met in Kathmandu during the second week of February 2025. The week-long meeting focused on reviewing the project's current progress, discussing implementation challenges, and developing actionable plans for the next phase of activities.
A highlight of the visit was the first formal meeting with the Domestic Advisory Panel (DAP) members on February 12, 2025. This meeting brought together key stakeholders from Nepal's health sector, including representatives from the Ministry of Health and Population, various divisions and centers of the Department of Health Services, academic institutions, and development partners.
Dr. Bhim Prasad Sapkota, Chief of Health Coordination Division at the Ministry of Health and Population, chaired and moderated the DAP meeting. Dr. Biraj Man Karmacharya, local PI for IpreventNCD project provided an overview of the IpreventNCD project to the DAP members. Participants then discussed the project's significance for addressing non-communicable diseases in Nepal and provided valuable feedback on strengthening the project activities.
Fall 2024
Field Visit to Nuwakot
The IpreventNCD team from Norway and Nepal travelled to Likhu Rural Municipality, Nuwakot to explore the study site. The research team had a brief meeting with the Health Coordinator and the Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality regarding the overall situation of NCDs and NCD-related programs. The team also visited Chaughada Health post and Bagarbazar Community Health Unit.
New Hires
We welcome our new team members!
Our new postdoc is Shreeshti Uchai. She holds a PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from the University of Oslo, MSc in Public Health from the University of Sheffield, UK and EHESP School of Public Health, Paris, France, and a Bachelor in Public Health from National Open College, Pokhara University, Nepal. Shreeshti’s research interests include epidemiology, implementation research, global health, NCDs and healthy ageing.
We have two new PhD fellows affiliated with University in Bergen, and employed at Dhulikhel Hospital – Kathmandu University Hospital.
Susmita Neupane holds a MPhil in Global Health from University of Bergen, Norway, a MSc in International Social Welfare and Health Policy from OsloMet, Norway, and Bachelor in Public Health from Nobel College Pokhara University, Nepal. Susmita’s research interests include qualitative research, maternal and child health, mental health and physical activity.
Shakun Sharma holds a MSc in Public health from La Trobe University, Australia, and a Bachelor in Public Health from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Shakun’s research interests include maternal and child health, NCDs, epidemiology, obesity research, and nutrition.
Spring 2024
A collaboration agreement was officially signed between Norwegian Institute of Public Health, University of Queensland, Dhulikhel Hospital- Kathmandu University Hospital, Nepal Health Research Council and University of Bergen on March 24, 2024.
Fall 2023
The research team with members from Nepal, Australia, and Norway met in Nepal between 10 and 12 October 2023. Collaboration agreements, budgets, project management plan, data management plan, and ethical review applications were discussed. A workshop with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Population, and relevant NGOs was arranged. Focusing on sustainability from the start, the aim of the workshop was to meet advisors and stakeholders, to discuss the development of the study protocol, and relevant existing and planned activities to prevent duplication and explore potential synergies.
