Tuberculosis is still prevalent and remains as one of the significant public health problems in most developing countries. In Nepal also, tuberculosis ranks as one of the most prevalent communicable disease throughout the country.

To cope up with this problem, Tuberculosis Control Programme (TBCP) was launched by GON of Nepal almost about four decades back. The first step taken for TB Control was in 1937 with the establishment of ‘Tokha Sanatorium' situated on the north of Kathmandu city. Secondly, the Central Chest Clinic (CCC) came into existence in 1951 with the facility of Diagnosis and Treatment services for the TB patients on domiciliary basis.
Simultaneously, Nepal Anti-TB Association (NATA) was established in 1953 and initiated its TB Control services with opening of outpatient Clinic in 1955 and established a Chest Hospital in 1970.

Similarly, in 1965, TBCP was systematically organized with tripartite agreement between GON of Nepal, WHO and UNICEF, and since then TBCP started a nationwide TB control service programme adopting preventive measures like: BCG vaccination, active case-findings and distribution of drugs in different integrated Health Posts.
In the meantime, various National and International experts recommended that both CCC and TBCP should be amalgamated into one centre as National Tuberculosis Centre (NTC) with a view that all TB Control activities should be conducted under the leadership of National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP).

As a result the National Tuberculosis Centre in Thimi, Bhaktapur at the central level and Regional Tuberculosis Centre (RTC) at the regional level in Pokhara were established in 1989 with the cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in order to strengthen the activities of NTP performing the following functions: