WHO provides IRS pumps to accelerate the elimination of vector-borne diseases

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province – WHO Acting Representative to Nepal, Dr Allison Gocotano, handed over 120 sets of indoor residual spraying (IRS) pumps and spare parts to the Director-General of the Department of Health Services. Requested by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), these pumps will reinforce national integrated vector control measures, particularly targeting kala-azar, malaria and other vector-borne diseases (VBDs). As a key pre-monsoon intervention, the department will distribute the pumps across all 7 provinces to ensure timely and effective implementation at the community level. IRS remains a cornerstone strategy for interrupting VBD transmission, directly supporting Nepal’s goal to eliminate kala-azar by 2026 and malaria by 2030. This initiative also contributes to the global objectives outlined in the NTD Roadmap 2021–2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 3.3. Beyond this immediate support, WHO continues to work closely with the MoHP to strengthen VBD control and elimination. This includes developing national strategic and technical guidelines, strengthening surveillance through active case detection and integrated screening, provision of drugs and diagnostics, establishing entomological laboratories in all 7 provinces, and building capacity through IRS and field entomology trainings.