World Health Day 2026: How quick local action helped a small community in Nepal beat back Cholera | IFRC

Executive Summary

Country: Nepal Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies In late October 2025, the quiet rhythm of life in Ward 5 of Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality, was abruptly broken. Families in this remote corner of Nepal’s Saptari District began rushing loved ones to the nearest health post as a sudden wave of Cholera swept through the settlement. Within days, three lives were lost: a young child, a toddler, and an elderly grandparent. For a small, marginalised community already living on the edge, the losses felt unbearable. “We didn’t understand what was happening,” one mother later shared with Red Cross teams. “We only knew our children were getting sick, and so fast.” Most families here depend on nearby ponds and rivers for drinking, cooking, and washing. Those same waters carried invisible dangers. With open defecation widespread and no proper sanitation facilities, contamination was unavoidable. Illness was common. Reporting it was not. This time, the consequences were devastating. Yet in the midst of this chaos, something powerful began to unfold communities began to reach for one another. When the first cases of Cholera appeared, local health authorities were able to make a quick diagnosis thanks to steps they took to prepare for such outbreaks. This allowed local residents and Red Cross volunteers in Chhinnamasta to quickly set up this Oral Rehydration Point (shown here) to help people avoid the severe dehyradtion often caused by the disease. Photo: Nepal Red Cross Society When every hour matters As cases rose, frontline health workers quickly recognized the signs of cholera. Their swift action set off a chain of alerts that travelled from village lanes to Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), led by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD). Several months earlier, the EDCD had deployed rapid diagnostic tests provided by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on behalf of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), a coalition of agencies and donors committed to supporting governments to stamp out cholera for good. This meant that the community got a quick answer what disease they were confronting. For families who had already watched loved ones die, the diagnosis brought both fear and clarity. This time, though, they were not facing it alone. Within days, health authorities, local officials, and humanitarian partners were on the ground. Drawing on the lessons from the cholera outbreak in Birgunj, a neighboring community, just months earlier, the response was very rapid. (The Birguni response was supported in part by funding from the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund, or IFRC-DREF). In Chhinnamasta, action began within 3–4 days, an achievement rooted not in only in epidemic response systems, but in people: the health worker who raised the alarm, the laboratory teams who worked through the night, the volunteers who went house to house to warn neighbours. While the response in Chhinamasta did not come directly under the Nepal Red Cross response funded by IFRC-DREF, it did benefit from the experiences and lessons learnt from other recent IFRC-DREF operations in Birgunj and other municipalities. Nepal Red Cross volunteers join local health officers in disinfection efforts aimed at halting the spread of Cholera. Photo: Nepal Red Cross Society Partnerships grounded in trust When EDCD asked for support, Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) volunteers became the bridge between institutions and families. They knew the settlements. They knew the languages. Most importantly, families trusted them. Provincial and local health offices, including health posts and hospitals, worked in close coordination. They rapidly convened emergency meetings, clarified roles, addressed logistical gaps, and mobilizied resources for an effective response. These partnerships weren’t abstract. They took concrete shape as health workers held urgent planning meetings under a single light bulb in the district office, or asneighbours helpied Red Cross teams navigate the narrow footpaths between homes. People drink rehydration fluids at an Oral Rehydration Point run by the Nepal Red Cross at a special Cholera clinic set up outside a local hospital in Chhinnamasta. Photo: Nepal Red Cross Society Bringing care to the heart of the community One of the turning points came when an Oral Rehydration Point (ORP) was opened right inside the affected settlement. Instead of walking long distances to seek help and losing precious time, families now have life-saving care just steps away. Parents arrived carrying children. Elderly people were supported by neighbours holding their arms. More than 1,200 people received immediate care. At the same time, 31 health workers received management training on cholera cases. These were the same nurses and health assistants who had known these families for years. Strengthening their skills meant strengthening the entire community’s resilience. As part of the Birgunj Cholera response, volunteers from the Nepal Red Cross go door-to-door to raise awareness about how to prevent the disease’s spread. Photo: Nepal Red Cross Society Protecting families in their daily lives Because cholera thrives where water is unsafe, families had to be protected not only in clinics, but in their kitchens, courtyards, and daily routines. Nepal Red Cross teams and volunteers facilitated settling these in the communities: Teaching families to treat water at home Showing mothers how to keep drinking water covered and clean Reminding children when and how to wash their hands Sharing messages in the languages people spoke at home FM radio announcements and e-rickshaw loudspeakers carried urgent messages through the villages Every visit, every conversation, helped calm fears and rebuild confidence. Nepal Red Cross volunteers go door-to-door as part of the Cholera response in Birgunj. Photo: Nepal Red Cross Society A strong collaboration “I am amazed by how the Red Cross works from the central level right down to our communities,” said Dr. Mukesh Poudel, Chief of the Outbreak Section at EDCD. “I look forward to collaborating not only on cholera but also on other public health priorities.” Brahmadev Yadav from the Nepal Red Cross Saptari District branch added: “Even with our limited staff, the way EDCD and the IFRC stood with us was extraordinary. We were recognized and appreciated by local authorities.” Stronger than before Stopping the outbreak was only the beginning. What happened in Saptari pushed everyone: health officials, responders, and families, to think beyond the emergency. New plans are now in motion to: Formalize partnership agreements between EDCD and the IFRC Prioritize preparedness for other epidemics. The experience in Saptari showed that with rapid detection, coordinated action, community engagement, and strong partnerships, even resilient communities can withstand deadly outbreaks and emerge stronger for the future. "With its strong volunteer network and close coordination with government counterparts, the Nepal Red Cross Society continues to play a vital role in the cholera response, “ said Bal Krishna Sedai, acting director of the Nepal Red Cross Society. “In its auxiliary role to public authorities, the National Society stands ready to intensify efforts to contain the outbreak, strengthen community engagement, and build resilience.We call on all partners, donors, and stakeholders to act together to implement the National Cholera Elimination Plan to prevent future outbreaks.”