How does the media affect our health sector? Shreeman Sharma at HERD International shares insight on the influence of news media on health policy-making in Nepal at the 11th National Summit 11th National Summit of Health and Population Scientists, in April 2025.

As part of the CHORUS Innovation Fund project on understanding how information and research evidence are communicated by news media to inform urban health policies and practices, Shreeman Sharma has explored the agenda prioritisation in health reporting in Nepal, and assessed the influence of news in informing health policy decisions.

“We need the support of media while formulating or endorsing the policy, we even mobilise them by ourselves to reinforce the issue.” (Policy maker)

Policy makers agree that the Nepali media has an influential role in raising public awareness on disease prevention and control. News reports help policy makers create favourable environments, and news clips have been used by policy makers in meetings and events to reinforce views. However misinformation and resource constraints can undermine the potential impact of media on policy.  Training and collaborative initiatives are needed to strengthen journalists’ ability to report health issues accurately and influence policy positively.