Child Healthcare in Nepal: Progress and Direction

Radeeb Akhtar^1,

¹New York Medical College, Valhalla, U.S.A

Cite this paper

Radeeb Akhtar. Child Healthcare in Nepal: Progress and Direction. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2015; 3(2):74-80. doi: 10.12691/AJPHR-3-2-7

Abstract

Health policy changes in Nepal displayed struggles against a poor political, geographical, and economic setting; Millennium Development Goal #4 demanded improved infant and child mortality, as well as adequate measles vaccine coverage by the year 2015. Research in this report presents progress and direction of child health care policy across more than a decade of time in attempts of attaining MDG #4 and general child health care advancements. Subsequent observations and suggestions were delineated and offered. Progress since the 1990’s up to 2012 was analyzed by review of serial national survey and report data. Trends and variations between regions were mostly analyzed amongst various child health care determinants. Results indicated many improved factors; Nepal will likely achieve MDG regarding child under-5 mortality, but may not achieve measles vaccine coverage or infant mortality goals. Furthermore, severe regional disparities were evident within Nepal, particularly in the Mid and Far-Western regions. A call for integrated community-based primary health care (CB-PHC) for infants and children became an ultimate ideal. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and community based primary care delivery service would address many of the deficits identified as well as reach rural and remote areas that still suffered. Risk and data-based resource allocation promise improved utilization, but also demands more frequent and better data reporting. Coordinated, multi-sector health policy initiatives have been underway; this demonstrated a strong direction in improving child health care from urban to every village.

Keywords

Nepal, child healthcare, health policy, infant mortality, child mortality, child immunization, millennium development goal, community medicine, community based integrated healthcare

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

[1]	Christian, P., Stewart, C.P., LeClerq, S.C., Wu, L., Katz, J., West Jr., K.P., and Khatry, S.K. July 2009. Antenatal and Postnatal Iron Supplementation and Childhood Mortality in Rural Nepal: A Prospective Follow-up in a Randomized, Controlled Community Trial. American Journal of Epidemiology. Baltimore, Maryland. USA. 170: 1127-1136.
[2]	Department of Health Services (DoHS). 2007. Annual Report 2063/2064. Government of Nepal Ministry of Health and Population. Kathmandu, Nepal.
[3]	Department of Health Services (DoHS). 2010. Annual Report 2066/2067. Government of Nepal Ministry of Health and Population. Kathmandu, Nepal.
[4]	Department of Health Services (DoHS). 2012. Annual Report 2068/2069. Government of Nepal Ministry of Health and Population. Kathmandu, Nepal.
[5]	Ministry of Health. Family Health Division (MoH:FHD). April 2002. Demographic Health Survey 2001. New ERA, Kathmandu, Nepal and ORC Macro, Calverton, Maryland, USA.
[6]	Ministry of Health and Population. Population Division (MoHP:PD). May 2007. Demographic Health Survey 2006. New ERA, Kathmandu, Nepal and ORC International Inc., Calverton, Maryland, USA.
[7]	Ministry of Health and Population. Population Division (MoHP:PD). March 2012. Demographic Health Survey 2011. New Era, Kathmandu, Nepal and ICF International, Calverton, Maryland, USA.
[8]	Pambos, M., Ng, J., Loukes, J., Matheson, J., Aryal, B., Adhikari, S., Kerry, S., Reid, F., & Oakeshott, P. 2012. Demographics and diagnoses at rural health camps in Nepal: cross-sectional study. Family Practice 2012. Oxford University Press. 29: 528-533.
[9]	Perry, H., Freeman, P., Gupta, S., & Rassekh, B.M. July 2009. “How Effective is Community-Based Primary Health Care in Improving the Health of Children?”. Community-Based Primary Health Care Working Group, International Health Section. American Public Health Association. Available:http://www.amoshealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Review-of-Evidence-on-Effectiveness-of-CBPHC-July-2009.pdf.[Accessed April 10th, 2014].
[10]	Pradhan, A., Aryal, R.H., Regmi, G., Ban, B., & Govindasamy, P. 1997. “Nepal Family Health Survey 1996”. Ministry of Health (Nepal), New ERA, and Macro International Inc. Kathmandu, Nepal and Celverton, Maryland.
[11]	Sharma, S. September 2011. “Nepal’s Successes on Micronutrients and Progress on Multi-sectoral Nutrition Planning with a Vision to Decentralize Scale-Up of Nutrition”. Ministry of Health and Population and UNICEF. Nepal and New York, USA. Available: http://scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/archived/Nepal-SUN-NYC-EE-011.pdf. [Accessed April 10th, 2014].
[12]	Shrestha, I.B. & Pathak, L.R. Aug 2012. “Review of the National Health Policy 1991”. National Health Sector Support Program. Available: http://www.nhssp.org.np/health_policy/Review%20of%20National%20Health%20Policy%201991.pdf. [Accessed March 28, 2014].
[13]	UK Department for International Development (DFID). May, 2013. Regional Dimensions of Poverty and Vulnerability in Nepal: Summary Report. UKAID, UK. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204015/Regional-Dimensions-Poverty-Nepal.pdf. [Accessed April 10, 2014].
[14]	World Health Organization. 2011. Nepal: Health Profile. Available: http://www.who.int/gho/countries/npl.pdf. [Accessed January 22nd, 2014].