About HEPEAN

Introduction

About HEPEAN

The Health Promotion and Education Association of Nepal (HEPEAN) was established in 2012 B.S. in Kathmandu as the country's first national-level professional organization dedicated to advancing health promotion and health education — creating a formal platform to advocate for preventive and promotive health approaches alongside curative services.

HEPEAN functions as a strategic professional body promoting advocacy, knowledge exchange, and institutional strengthening to embed health promotion within Nepal's national health system. It supports the professionalization of practitioners through policy engagement, competency development, and standardised practice aligned with global health promotion frameworks.

Since its founding, HEPEAN has run continuous capacity-building trainings and leadership development for practitioners, and engaged government agencies, academic institutions and development partners to integrate health promotion structures and workforce positions across federal, provincial and local health governance.

At a glance

Founded2012 B.S., Kathmandu

First of its kindNepal's first national health promotion body

Academic milestoneMHPE, Tribhuvan University (2070/71 B.S.)

National Health Promotion Day21 November, since 2025

Vision & Mission

What we're working toward

Vision

A healthy, equitable and health-literate Nepal, where health promotion and health education are fully institutionalised as a core part of the national health system.

Mission

To advance the professional recognition, capacity and practice of health promotion and health education in Nepal through advocacy, research, academic collaboration and multisectoral partnership — supporting a more preventive, participatory health system for all.

Objectives

What HEPEAN sets out to do

Establish the organisation as a non-profit, social and professional body dedicated to public service.
Develop and expand new dimensions of public health by making the health sector effective, accountable, reliable and efficient.
Protect and enhance the professional capacity of members and health workers engaged in health promotion and education.
Create a conducive environment for the promotion, development and expansion of promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services.
Advocate for and improve healthy lifestyles, behaviours and public capability toward quality, sustainable health-promotion services.

Establish coordination and relations with national and international professional organisations in health promotion and education.
Support the development, planning and implementation of laws, policies, strategies and programmes related to health promotion, health education and health governance.
Plan and implement research studies and projects on health promotion, health education, health systems and workforce capacity.
Motivate health and non-health stakeholders to modernise traditionally practiced public health working methods.
Advocate that health be integrated into all policies, playing an active role in building a healthy society.

Our Work

Strategic & Accomplished Activities

Major Accomplished Activities

Sustained government-level advocacy establishing the professional identity of health promotion practitioners nationally.
Contributed to including health promotion structures and sanctioned positions within federal, provincial and local government organograms.
Organised multiple national seminars and symposiums fostering academic discourse and professional networking.
Lobbied for academic institutionalisation, leading to the Master of Health Promotion and Education (MHPE) at Tribhuvan University, and expansion at other universities.
Initiated the first National Health Promotion Day on 21 November 2025.
Members actively participate in all national days.

Strategic Priorities (in progress)

Continuous advocacy for endorsement of a National Health Promotion Strategy.
Advocacy to restructure the National Health Education Information & Communication Center (NHEICC) into a National Health Promotion Center.
Advocacy for a higher-level, autonomous Health Promotion Board.
Promoting healthy-setting approaches in workplaces, schools, cities and villages.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on health promotion for Nepal's health workforce.
Advocacy for health promotion, action, operational and implementation research.

Activities & Projects

Research, Publications & Upcoming Work

🔬 Ongoing Research

An IRC-approved study, "Understanding the Changing Paradigm of Existing Public Health Practices to New Public Health by Nepalese Health Policy Makers," is currently underway with a team of collaborating researchers.

📰 Publications

HEPEAN produces a magazine, bulletin, articles and an annual calendar supporting professional communication and public awareness.

📅 Upcoming Conferences

National Health Promotion Conference — Kathmandu (planned) — and a Regional Health Promotion Conference — Kathmandu, December 2026 — to strengthen regional collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Governance

Executive Committee

Position	Name
Chairperson	Hem Raj Khadka
Immediate Past Chairperson	Dr. Salikram Dhital
Vice Chairperson	Binod Kumar Aryal
General Secretary	Roshani Poudel
Secretary	Ram Kumar Shrestha
Treasurer	Thalindra Pangeni
Executive Member	Sheela Shrestha
Executive Member	Arun Gyawali
Executive Member	Madhav K. Shrestha
Executive Member	Lok Raj Pandey
Executive Member	Kamal Ranabhat
Executive Member	Sharada Pahari

Want to know more about each member? Read full bios →

Advisory Committee

Prof. Shiv Prasad Sapkota
Dr. Arun Kumar Koirala
Dr. Dipendra Raman Singh
Mr. Badri Bahadur Khadka
Mr. Chiranjeevi Adhikari

National Health Promotion Conference 2026

Conference Organizing Committee

Role	Name
Organizing/ Main Committee	Hem Raj Khadka
Scientific Committee	Dr. Arun Koirala
Main Coordination Committee	Binod Kumar Aryal
Logistic Committee	Thalindra Pangeni
Sponsorship and Communication Committee	Ram Kumar Shrestha

Executive Member

Sharada Pahari

Our People

HEPEAN Provincial Team (the details will be provided soon)

Koshi Province

HQ: Biratnagar

Madhesh Province

HQ: Janakpur

Bagmati Province

HQ: Kathmandu

Gandaki Province

HQ: Pokhara

Lumbini Province

HQ: Dang

Karnali Province

HQ: Surkhet

Sudurpashchim Province

About HEPEAN

At a glance

What we're working toward

Vision

Mission

What HEPEAN sets out to do

Strategic & Accomplished Activities

Major Accomplished Activities

Strategic Priorities (in progress)

Research, Publications & Upcoming Work

🔬 Ongoing Research

📰 Publications

📅 Upcoming Conferences

Executive Committee

Advisory Committee

Conference Organizing Committee

HEPEAN Central Team Profile

Hem Raj Khadka

Dr. Salikram Dhital

Binod Kumar Aryal

Roshani Poudel

Ram Kumar Shrestha

Thalindra Pangeni

Sheela Shrestha

Arun Gyawali

Madhav K. Shrestha

Lok Raj Pandey

Kamal Ranabhat

Sharada Pahari

HEPEAN Provincial Team (the details will be provided soon)

HQ: Biratnagar

HQ: Janakpur

HQ: Kathmandu

HQ: Pokhara

HQ: Dang

HQ: Surkhet

HQ: Dhangadi