Overview  

Nepal’s digital health journey has four main phases: Early Foundations (1990–early 2000s), Expansion Phase (2004–2010), Systematization and Policy Integration (2011–2019), and the Pandemic Era (2020–present). In the early years, Nepal began important work in health data collection and management. This work set the groundwork for future digital health advances. During the expansion phase, tools like DHIS2 and various mobile and telehealth pilot projects were introduced. From 2011 to 2019, the country focused on organizing digital health initiatives, integrating them into national health policies and strategies. It also connected to broader frameworks like the Digital Nepal Framework and Sustainable Development Goals.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly sped up the use and growth of digital tools. This included telemedicine, vaccine tracking systems, and digital surveillance platforms. A key moment in this phase was the creation of the Standards and Interoperability Lab (SIL) in 2021, which received official support from the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and was backed by dedicated funding through 2023. SIL is vital for standardizing data exchange and ensuring different digital health systems can work together.

Nepal has adopted the OpenHIE (Open Health Information Exchange) framework as the foundational architecture to implement its upcoming National Digital Health Framework, which is currently in draft form and based on the National Digital Health Blueprint. As part of this initiative, the Health Facility Registry and the National Health Facility Registry have been completed and are now being actively adopted by government institutions, marking a significant move toward a cohesive and interoperable digital health ecosystem.

DIGITAL HEALTH STRATEGY

• BEING DISCUSSED
• BEING DRAFTED
• PUBLISHED 

Designated eHLF Representative

Subash Adhikari

Digital Health Focal Person at Ministry of Health and Population

subas.adhikari@mohp.gov.np