Nepal has completed the nationwide rollout of the Surveillance, Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), a major milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen capacity to detect, investigate and respond to disease outbreaks in real time. The digital platform integrates reports from health facilities, communities, and other surveillance sources into a single system, enabling faster identification of public health threats and supporting timely, coordinated action.
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The initiative was led by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of the Department of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety (MoHFS), with technical and financial support from WHO through the Pandemic Fund-supported Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response (SPEED) project.
SORMAS has enabled Nepal to respond to epidemics and pandemics in a more digital, coordinated, and collaborative manner, significantly strengthening our surveillance and outbreak management systems. This connectivity empowers us to act swiftly and consistently, whether investigating a single unusual event or managing a large-scale outbreak, ensuring a timely and effective public health response.
Mr Hem Raj Pandey, Section Chief, Disease Surveillance and Research Section at EDCD
Between May 2023 and December 2025, SORMAS was progressively rolled out across all 753 municipalities in Nepal. More than 1500 Rapid Response Team (RRT) members were trained on the platform, strengthening frontline capacity for surveillance and outbreak response. SORMAS runs alongside Nepal's Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS), which handles routine disease reporting from sentinel sites. SORMAS extends coverage to capture cases from health facilities and communities across the country, along with unexpected events and signals, effectively broadening Nepal’s surveillance net.
Together, the two systems form a real-time monitoring network spanning the federal, provincial and local levels. Health workers can report unusual health events directly through the platform, triggering automatic alerts to authorities at each level of government.
One of SORMAS's key features is its guided risk assessment capability. When a health worker reports an unusual health event, the platform guides them through a structured questionnaire. Based on their responses and national guidelines, SORMAS displays a resulting risk level (from low to very high), providing a consistent, evidence-based foundation for decision-making.
During recent outbreak responses, timely reporting through SORMAS enabled provincial authorities to swiftly organize community-level RRT meetings, conduct active case searches and implement targeted vaccination campaigns to contain disease transmission.
The impact goes beyond responding to individual outbreaks. By linking community-level reporting with district, provincial and national authorities, SORMAS strengthens Nepal's ability to prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.
Dr Anuj Bhattachan, Director of EDCD, who is also currently serving as the acting Director General of the Department of Health Services
The SORMAS rollout directly supports implementation of Nepal's
core public health frameworks, including the Community-Based Disease
Surveillance Guideline 2025, the National Alert and Response Framework 2025,
the Rapid Risk Assessment Guideline 2025 and the Rapid Response Team
Operational Guideline.
Through these frameworks, SORMAS supports surveillance of 52 priority diseases and public health threats. The platform also supports Nepal's commitment to achieving the global 7-1-7 target for outbreak management: detecting public health threats within seven days, notifying authorities within one day and initiating an effective response within seven days.
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Health workers actively engaged in SORMAS training held in Karnali province, Nepal, June 2025. Photo credit: WHO Nepal
In public health, the difference between a small outbreak and a major emergency often comes down to one thing: timely action. By strengthening real-time surveillance and connecting communities with decision-makers at every level of the health system, SORMAS is helping Nepal detect health threats earlier, respond faster and build a stronger, more resilient future.
Dr Allison Gocotano, WHO Representative to Nepal a.i.
WHO Nepal has provided sustained technical assistance throughout the rollout, from platform configuration and training design to system integration guidance. Moving forward, WHO will continue providing technical assistance to optimize the platform and ensure full interoperability with Nepal’s existing health information systems.
About SORMAS
The Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) is an open-source digital health platform developed to support integrated disease surveillance and outbreak response. Originally developed for use in West Africa, the system has since been adapted for use in multiple countries. In Nepal, its rollout was led by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety, with support from WHO and partners.