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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Before world leaders meet at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025 at the High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it is important to underline that the major common risk factor of most NCDs is tobacco and nicotine use. Tobacco is also a major risk factor for deadliest infectious disease TB (and COVID-19). Unless we decimate (or eliminate) such risk factors, how will we deliver on the promises enshrined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030?
Nepal government's Ministry of Health awarded the prestigious Health Minister's Bloomberg Public Health Awards to 7 changemakers this year on World No Tobacco Day 2025 and ahead of the largest conference on tobacco control this year (formally called as World Conference on Tobacco Control).
Nepal Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025
At a special awards ceremony, Nepal government's Health Minister Pradeep Poudel, Health Secretary Dr Bikas Devkota, Director General of Department of Health Services Dr Tanka Prasad Barakoti and other dignitaries awarded 7 changemakers with Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Award for this year 2025. They were awarded for their significant contribution in reducing, controlling and regulating the import, production, sale and distribution of tobacco products. This coveted award carries a cash prize of Nepali Rupees 50,000, citation and a certificate of merit.
Dr Tara Singh Bam
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Dr Tara Singh Bam was awarded 2025 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Award of Government of Nepal for his contribution in establishing the tobacco control laws, regulation, building government accountability, developing media leadership, mobilising civil society, preventing industry interference and positioning Nepal leadership to #endTobacco.
In 2024, Dr Tara Singh Bam was the first Nepalese person (and first globally too) to be awarded by Minister of Health of Indonesia Dr Budi Gunadi Sadikin in recognition of his 17+ years of dedicated work to advance tobacco control and public health in Indonesia and globally.
Ram Prasad Neupane
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Ram Prasad Neupane serves as Editor-in-Chief of Nepali Health for over 10 years now and was among the recipients of this year's Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Award by Ministry of Health, government of Nepal.
Ram Prasad Neupane has been active in the anti-tobacco campaign for the past decade and a half. Since the time Nepalese government had first issued the Tobacco Control and Regulation Act in 2011, he has been continuously active in the campaign to end tobacco and save lives through his journalism.
Earlier, Ram Prasad Neupane reported on health issues as a senior correspondent in the national daily Naya Patrika.
Ram is the President of Health Journalists Forum Nepal, as well as a founding member of Nepal NCD Alliance, part of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), and Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media).
Kalpana Acharya
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Kalpana Acharya was among the 7 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025 by government of Nepal. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of Health TV Online Nepal, and hosts Health First Podcasts with over a million viewership per episode. She also leads Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) in South-East Asia region and is among the founding board members of Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media).
Last week at a Side Event around 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Kalpana was awarded the 3rd Prize in global SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) Media Awards ceremony for her consistent reporting on gender equality and human rights during September 2024-March 2025.
Buddhi Katel
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Buddhi Katel was also among the 7 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025 by government of Nepal. Buddhi Katel is a journalist with Medical Patra.
Pushpa Raj Chaulagain
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Pushpa Raj Chaulagain was also among the 7 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025 by government of Nepal. Pushpa is a journalist with Online Khabar.
Rudra Kadariya
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Rudra Kadariya who is with Cancer Council Nepal, was also among the 7 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025 by government of Nepal.
Laxminarayan Dev
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| photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com |
Laxminarayan Dev, a noted public health specialist, was also among the 7 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Awardees 2025 by government of Nepal.
Nepal’s leadership in Asia Pacific region to advance progress towards ending AIDS, TB and tobacco use: Lessons for the region and way forward
- Nepal is the only country in entire Asia Pacific region to show decline in new HIV infections by over 75% (decline of 79% between 2010-2023 in Nepal in new HIV infections). Only 4 countries worldwide could do this ( Kenya, Zimbabwe and Malawi and Nepal).
- Global Goal is to achieve that 95% of people who know their HIV status should be on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment by 2025. Antiretroviral coverage for people living with HIV reached over 80% in only 4 countries in Asia Pacific: Cambodia (89%), Nepal (82%), New Zealand (90%) and Thailand (82%) by 2023.
- Nepal had led the South Asia region by largest pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products. Now, Nepal leads the world with first nation to go ahead with 100% pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products.
- Nepal has successfully upheld its obligations to WHO FCTC and its Article 5.3 by repeatedly exposing tobacco industry interference in public policy, and thwarting industry efforts to stop or delay implementation of MPOWER and FCTC and domestic laws.
- Nepal’s leadership in fight against TB is also remarkable although more needs to be done to find.treat.prevent all TB nationwide.
Every tobacco-related disease and death could have been prevented if evidence-based tobacco control measures were fully and optimally in place. Even one tobacco death is a death too many, says Dr Tara Singh Bam. It is time for accountability so that we can end tobacco and accelerate progress on other SDG goals and targets.
Also, it is an appeal to all governments who have ratified the global tobacco treaty (formally called the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or WHO FCTC) who will convene at the upcoming Conference of the Parties to FCTC in November 2025 to accelerate progress towards full implementation of Article 19 of the treaty which empowers governments to hold tobacco industry accountable and liable (legally and financially).
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