The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Baltimore), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Government of Nepal), The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union) and Action Nepal organized a South Asia Tobacco Control Leadership Program in Kathmandu from 7-13 May 2017. A weeklong program had participants from government and non-government agencies from all the SAARC countries. The program covered various aspects of tobacco control including building effective leadership.

Upendra Bhojani of Institute of Public Health (Bengaluru), who had undergone the Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program (2010), was invited as a resource person. He facilitated a session and participated in a panel discussion.