
The RTSL-JHU sodium reduction team lead for Healthy Public Food Procurement and Service Policies Dr. Sara Benjamin Neelon is working with Dr. Archana Shrestha at the Department of Public Health at Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences in Dhulikhel, Nepal to evaluate the recent implementation of a healthy food procurement and service policy in four municipalities in the Kathmandu valley. The team conducted a baseline survey to measure the impact of the policy at the cafeteria level of public institutions and private schools in 2023-4. Endline evaluations are expected to be completed in 2025, after the policy has been implemented in all municipalities. This evaluation will provide valuable insight into the strengths of the current policy, as well as where the policy could be improved to have greater impact on healthy school environments. It will also allow for refinement of a novel tool created to assess settings where governments purchase, serve, and sell foods. This tool will become available for global use in 2025.