Nepal is a country in South Asia, home to some 30 million people. The country is located in the Himalayas, bordering China and India. Nepal is also known for being the home of the tallest mountain in the world; Mt. Everest, as well as being the birthplace of the Buddha. Nepal is a developing country, and as a result, it still faces certain challenges when it comes to healthcare. Rural healthcare in Nepal can be particularly challenging.

About Healthcare in Nepal

Nepal is a predominantly rural country. Approximately 79% of the country lives in rural areas. As a result, there is a significant urban and rural divide in the country when it comes to healthcare. Because of the country’s hilly and mountainous terrain, expanding healthcare programs to rural areas can be challenging. Rural areas have fewer clinics, healthcare personnel and medical equipment than urban areas. Rural healthcare in Nepal faces many such challenges. The access to proper healthcare is not distributed evenly throughout the country.

A mix of public and private services provide healthcare in Nepal. The government provides basic healthcare services. Private sectors provide a larger number of services. People in urban areas rely more on the private sector for healthcare. People in rural areas rely more on public healthcare services. Pharmacies are the leading providers in the private sector. But in general, most citizens rely more on the private sector. About 63% of Nepalese relied on the private sector regardless of their economic background. Public hospitals are the primary healthcare facilities in the country, followed by primary healthcare centers, health posts, private facilities and basic healthcare service centers.

Challenges With Healthcare Access in Nepal

About 20.3% of the Nepalese population lives below the poverty line, according to the Asia Development Bank (ADB). The United Nations classifies Nepal as one of the least developed countries in the world. This makes it difficult for the Nepalese government to provide adequate healthcare, especially in rural areas. The country’s economic status makes rural healthcare in Nepal a challenging endeavor for the government.

Despite its economic situation, the Nepalese government has taken efforts to improve the country’s healthcare situation. The country’s constitution declares healthcare a fundamental human right. It also guarantees that every Nepalese citizen has a right to free basic healthcare services from the state. In addition to this, the Nepalese government has initiated a national immunization program to vaccinate the population against various diseases. In 2015, the government passed the Immunization Act, which confirms the right to vaccinations for all children by way of an efficient immunization program.

Nepal has also had programs specifically designed to vaccinate children. About 65% of 1 to 2-year-old Nepalese children have received all necessary vaccines. However, there is still room for improvement. Specifically, there are significant disparities regarding who receives vaccines. Education level and caste play a big role in vaccine distribution. People belonging to lower castes, and those who have not received any education are less likely to be properly vaccinated. The urban and rural divide comes into play here, as people living in rural and remote areas are less likely to have received proper vaccinations due to their caste or education level.

Solutions

In 2012, the country began the Reaching Every Child program to vaccinate all Nepalese children. The program is part of the broader National Immunization Program, designed to properly immunize and vaccinate citizens from deadly diseases. Through this program, the Nepalese government aims to vaccinate every child across the country, regardless of whether they live in urban or rural areas.

Other strides have been taken to expand rural Nepal’s access to healthcare. The Internet Society is leading an Effective Broadband for Health program for rural areas in Nepal. The program established wireless broadband services in Nepalese villages. It also provided remote villages with telemedicine solutions, and helped build proper healthcare infrastructure.

Looking Ahead

Nepal still has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to expanding healthcare to rural areas. Rural areas still lack things like healthcare infrastructure, personnel, medicine and accessibility. However, the country is actively working to improve the situation. The constitution declares healthcare a human right and gives every citizen access to free basic healthcare services. Additionally, companies like the Internet Society are also working to expand healthcare access to remote areas through wireless broadband services. 

– Samriddha Aryal

Samriddha is based in Centreville, VA, USA and focuses on Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons