National Media Highlight the Household Costs of TB

Findings from Nepal’s first national TB Patient Cost Survey have received national media attention through recent coverage in The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur. The coverage highlights a critical public health concern: free TB diagnosis and treatment alone do not protect affected households from severe financial hardship.

The survey included 1,000 people receiving treatment through Nepal’s National Tuberculosis Programme. It found that 51% of TB-affected households experienced catastrophic costs, defined as total TB-related costs exceeding 20% of their annual pre-TB household income. The burden was particularly severe among households affected by drug-resistant TB, 76% of which incurred catastrophic costs. TB-related costs also pushed 13% of households below the poverty line.

Much of this burden arose outside the direct cost of clinical care. Transportation, food, accommodation and nutritional support accounted for 44% of total costs, while income loss accounted for a further 39%. These findings point to the need for earlier diagnosis and stronger social protection, including targeted financial, transport and nutritional support for vulnerable households.

PERC contributed to the survey in collaboration with the Government of Nepal and national and international partners. The survey provides an important national baseline for monitoring Nepal’s progress towards the End TB Strategy target that no TB-affected household should face catastrophic costs.

Read the coverage:

• The Kathmandu Post:  https://kathmandupost.com/health/2026/08/18/tb-treatment-is-free-in-nepal-but-51-percent-of-affected-families-face-crippling-costs-report
• Kantipur:  https://ekantipur.com/news/2026/08/18/44-people-die-of-tuberculosis-every-day-in-nepal-59-37.html
• Read the study in Health Policy and Planning: https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/41/8/1401/8741602