Dr. Maxine Caws

Max Caws is the Principal Investigator of IMPACT TB and a senior TB researcher at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She was Head of the TB group at Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Vietnam for 11 years and researches diverse aspects of TB including drug resistance, diagnosis, clinical treatment trials, bacterial virulence and host susceptibility determinants. She is currently based in Kathmandu, Nepal. She has a BSc in biochemistry from the University of St Andrews, a PHD in medical microbiology from King’s College, London, where her thesis topic was tuberculous meningitis, and an MSC in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Gyanendra Shrestha

Gyanendra Shrestha is the Project Manager for the Epidemic Intelligence project and Eastern Regional Manager. He is an experienced public health professional and project leader, starting as a Statistical officer for Government of Nepal in the year 1997, and later joining BNMT as a drug scheme In-charge, progressing as a district programme coordinator and project manager. He has a deep understanding of the implementation and factors driving successful delivery of community based public health programmes in Nepal. He is responsible for ensuring successful implementation of project; establishing good coordination and networking with project partners, government authorities, major hospitals, health offices, and other development partners.

Gyanendra holds a double master’s degree in Public administration and Population and Rural Development.

Raghu Dhital

Raghu Dhital is the Executive Director of BNMT Nepal. Raghu has worked in community based public health with BNMT for twenty years and has diverse experience across multiple sectors, including infectious diseases control programmes, WASH and disaster response and recovery. He has a strong passion for working with communities to identify priorities and facilitate solutions together. Throughout his career, he has worked in partnership with government health services and NGO networks to augment existing services and contribute to the development of Nepal.

His main responsibilities are to oversee the overall activities of BNMT; develop strategies, plans and activities for the all the programs of BNMT; establish good coordination and collaboration with government authorities, District Health Offices, NGO partners and advocates and facilitate the successful implementation of Tuberculosis Control Program.

Before taking this role, Raghu served as the Deputy director of BNMT. He previously worked as Project Manager for IMPACT TB phase I from 2017-2019. He was involved in Britain Nepal Medical Trust as a TB REACH Project Manager from February 2012 to June 2014 and has successfully implemented TB REACH WAVE- 2 project in Nepal. He has also been involved in Active Case Finding through systematic mobilization of community health volunteers including initiation of microscopic camps in hard to reach areas of Nepal.

Govind Majhi

Govinda Majhi is our District Program Coordinator for Pyuthan District. He has been working with DrOTS Project since July 2019 but has been part of the Birat Nepal Medical Trust team from 2017. His job role includes the planning and implementation of programme activities for DrOTS Project within the district.

Govinda holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Purbanchal University (Nepal) and a Master’s Degree from Rajiv Gandhi University (India), both in Public Health. His Masters focused on ‘Factors causing delay in pulmonary-TB diagnosisin Morang District Nepal’. Continuing his interest in TB, Govinda applied for an internship in BNMT’s tuberculosis programme in Sunsari District -sponsored by Global Fund. He was then offered a job as District Programme Coordinator for the area of Dang, Udayapur and Makwanpur for IMPACT TB. His passion towards fighting the chronic ongoing problem of TB in Nepal inspired him to eventually apply for his current role in Pyuthan district. His vision is to see a TB-free Nepal.

Manoj Kumar Sah

Dr. Manoj Kumar Sah serves as the Provincial Program Coordinator in Mahottari District,
where he oversees the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of health
initiatives, including IMPACT TB 2. He also supports key projects such as CHANGE TB,
Accelerate Zero Leprosy, Nourish, Transform TB, and TB Vaccine in the district. His primary
focus is on implementing IMPACT TB project activities and facilitating research within the
district.
Manoj holds a Master’s degree in Sociology, a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery
(BAMS), a Bachelor’s degree in Education specializing in Health, and a Certificate in General
Medicine.
He has extensive experience in public health, including coordination and management of district-
level health programs in areas such as reproductive health (RH), community-based newborn care
and child health (CB-NCP/IMCI and CB-IMNCI), nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. His expertise
extends to health system strengthening, inventory and logistics management, as well as providing
supportive supervision and monitoring of program activities.
Manoj diverse qualifications and experience highlight his commitment to improving public
health systems and delivering impactful health interventions in Nepal.

Dipendra Panday

Dipendra Panday serves as the Provincial Program Coordinator based in Banke District,
Nepal. In this role, he oversees the planning, coordination, implementation, and
monitoring of various health initiatives, including the Epidemic Intelligence Project,
IMPACT TB 2, Target TB, TB Recovery Project, and provides support to projects like
CHANGE TB, Accelerate Zero Leprosy, Nourish, Transform TB, and TB Vaccine.
Previously, Dipendra worked with BNMT as the District Coordinator for several
impactful projects, including the ‘Enhancing Community Health in Nepal’ project funded
by the Big Lottery Fund and the ‘National TB Program’ supported by the Global
Fund/Save the Children.
Dipendra holds a Community Medicine Auxiliary (CMA) qualification and a Health
Assistant (HA) diploma from the Council for Technical Education and Vocational
Training (CTEVT). He has also earned a Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) from
Tribhuvan University.
He has received extensive training in diverse areas such as CB-IMNCI, IMAM, TB
Modular, Master Training of Trainers (MToT) on Golden Thousand Days, TB
Management e-TB, DHIS-2, M-health, and life skills. These qualifications and
experiences highlight his expertise and dedication to improving public health outcomes in
Nepal.