Location: Kathmandu - Sindupalchowk District

Situation:

On 21 April 2006, after several months of riots, the Nepalese king Gyanendra announced that he would ‘give power back to the people’. The Maoist rebels agreed to return to the new parliament in Kathmandu and signed a peace agreement with the Seven Parties of the coalition, ending the civil war and limiting the powers of the monarchy. However, the country severely lacks aid for health. The geography of Nepal and ten years of conflict have limited access to healthcare for the population, and hindered economic development and the education system.

Activities:
 
Doctors of the World has been working in Nepal since 1995 and is currently conducting a project aimed at improving the maternal and newborn mortality, especially in the mountainous region, through provision of combined services for microfinance and reproductive health.

The current project is operating in one district of Nepal – Sindupalchowk District -and has three large components:

• Ensure the availability of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care at different levels of the health system, through training, provision of equipment and drugs.

• Provide reproductive health education through an organization of combined microfinance services (saving and credit groups with health education).

• Organize and strengthen referrals through emergency obstetric funds managed by the microfinance centers.

Outlook:

Furthermore the project aims at strengthening the local governance bodies and community participation in order to enable them to make a combined district plan for reproductive health and microfinance.

Project Start date: 1995

Project End date: May 2014