गृहपृष्ठ ∕ Breaking ∕ WHO honours Nepal Eye Care network for excellence Breaking WHO honours Nepal Eye Care network for excellence KathmanduPati August 08, 2026 Kathmandu [Nepal], August 8 – The World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office has selected Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) for the 2026 WHO South-East Asia Regional Public Health Champion Award in recognition of its longstanding contribution to reducing avoidable blindness and expanding equitable eye care services across Nepal. According to the WHO, the award will be presented during the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in October. This marks the first time NNJS has received the regional honour in the public health category. Thailand’s Dr Nittaya Phanuphak and India’s Dr K. Suresh Kumar have also been named award recipients. Founded nearly five decades ago NNJS operates 28 eye hospitals and 226 eye care centres through 44 district branches providing services to patients from Nepal and abroad. The organization says it has delivered eye care to more than 50.2 million people and performed over 5.65 million eye surgeries. WHO noted that Nepal’s blindness prevalence fell from 0.84% in 1981 to 0.28% in 2020/21, reflecting sustained progress in eye health. NNJS said it remains focused on expanding free and subsidized treatment particularly for underserved communities. The organization also reported earning more than Rs 1.5 billion in foreign currency from international patients in the last fiscal year highlighting Nepal’s growing potential as a destination for health tourism. Write your comments RELATED NEWS ‘Old baggage’ does not include Nepal’s sovereignty, borders: FM Khanal Nepal Army chief in China for Beijing Xiangshan Forum Australia hands over 17 specialised drones to Nepal for disaster… 607 foreign nationals still missing in Nepal floods France delivers emergency aid to Nepal flood victims Nepal unveils 21-point plan to revive capital market Top Headlines Monsoon is predictable and Nepal’s disaster response should be too1 Nepal “a Buffer State”: Rethinking foreign policy in relative terms2 Promotion Linked to Future Military Leadership: Major General Magar Could Become Army Chief3 When the State Pulls the Trigger, Who Answers ?4 Before the Ballots: How Oli Lost the Political Narrative5 Nepal’s Political Renaissance: The rise of the RSP, the re-ordering of the old political order and the political path forward6 Balen’s Silence Has Invited Curiosity, Confusion, and Concerns7 Jagdamba Group Chairman Shankar Agrawal Arrested8 TRENDING Once on the Margins, Women Diplomats Are Now Making Their Mark in Nepal’s Foreign Service Sector Pathao, Tootle resume ride sharing services after authorities relax lockdown The Role of the Nepalese Army in Strategic Road Projects National Poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire no more Nepal Army’s mission in Lebanon provides Covid support kits to local municipalities Why Are Boys Unexpressive? Forbes-listed billionaire Binod Chaudhary tests positive for coronavirus Lockdown 2.0: What the Government should do this time around
