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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.