Kathmandu — Former Health Secretary Dr. Sudha Sharma has been recommended as the new Minister for Health and Population. According to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office, her name, along with three others, has been forwarded to the President’s office.

The President’s Office confirmed that the oath-taking ceremony for the newly appointed ministers will take place at 2:30 PM today. Prime Minister Sushila Karki recommended the names earlier today as part of the cabinet expansion.

The new ministers to be appointed include Dr. Sudha Sharma Gautam (Health and Population), Ganapati Lal Shrestha (Land Reform), Khagendra Sunar (Labour and Employment), and Bablu Gupta (Youth and Sports). Initially, Shrestha was expected to lead the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, but the decision was later revised, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Dr. Sharma, a seasoned gynecologist and public health expert, previously served as health secretary. She began her career in 1982 at a district hospital and retired as a health secretary. She is also known as the only female president in the history of the Nepal Medical Association, a position she won as an independent candidate.

During the 2006 People’s Movement, Dr. Sharma played an active role as chairperson of PAPAD—an alliance of professional organizations—leading medical professionals in protests and coordinating medical care for the injured.

Her tenure as Health Secretary was marked by her resistance to political interference from then-ministers Umakanta Chaudhary and Rajendra Mahato. Finding it inappropriate to continue amid persistent political pressure, she eventually resigned. She has shared these struggles in her memoir titled “Singh Darbar ko Ghumne Mech” (“The Rotating Chair of Singha Durbar”).

She is not only an obstetrician and gynecologist but also a public health expert. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (UK). She has contributed extensively to maternal health, clinical services, and health system strengthening in Nepal.

Her leadership extends internationally—she has served as president of the South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, chair of the education committee of the Asia Oceania Federation, and advisor to various UN agencies, including WHO and UNICEF.

She also worked as director and professor at Prasuti Griha (Paropakar Maternity Hospital) and also led UNICEF Tanzania’s Health and Nutrition Department. During her tenure, she contributed to the Health Sector Strategic Plan, National Nutrition Strategy, Big Results Now Initiative, and Global Financing Facility.

Most recently, Dr. Sharma served as an advisor for the Ministry of Health and Population and DFID, leading the development of the Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Roadmap 2030.

Her decades of contribution to women’s health have earned her several national and international recognitions, including the prestigious FIGO “Woman of the Year” Award.