News and Events
Delivering essential reproductive health care for women, men and adolescents through mobile reproductive health camps
KATHMANDU, 1st December 2008
From the left: Dr. Alexander Spachis, Charge
d'affaires, Delegation of the European
Commission to Nepal; Ms. Shubha Kayastha,
FPAN Youth Volunteer; Ms. Ugochi Daniels,
UNFPA Representative, a. i.; H.E. Ambassador
Finn Thilsted, Embassy of Denmark; Dr. Dirgh
Singh Bam, Secretary, Ministry of Health and
Population
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched today two projects through which most vulnerable populations of Nepal can expect to receive immediate services. One is an 18-month long project funded by the Danish Embassy to improve the reproductive health status of populations in Kailali, Dadeldhura, Bajhang, Salyan and Jajarkot districts. The other project, funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), provides emergency reproductive health services to conflict affected populations in Mid Western Nepal.
The aim of the projects is to meet the immediate needs of conflict affected populations and to build sustainable service delivery systems for reproductive health (RH), including response mechanisms for gender based violence (SGBV) through an increased understanding of the forms of and needed prevention mechanisms for GBV.
Key activities will include the conducting of mobile reproductive health outreach camps that in total are expected to directly deliver services to over 50,000 women of reproductive age, men, and adolescents. An estimated 430 women with uterine prolapse will be operated on through the two projects. The camps will have facilities for screening, counseling and treatment and will also be able to provide awareness-raising for family planning and the prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Based on previous experiences, about 6% of all clients are likely to benefit from screening for GBV. The project will benefit local health service providers who will receive hands-on training in the mobile camps.
Since 2005 UNFPA has implemented humanitarian assistance projects in over 21 districts and has improved the lives of close to 100,000 women, men and adolescents. The reproductive health camps are a humanitarian response to deliver immediate services to populations in areas where access remains weak, particularly after the disruption caused by the conflict. 'At the same time as sustainable comprehensive health care services are developed nationally, immediate needs cannot be neglected,' notes UNFPA Representative a.i. Ms. Ugochi Daniels.
The mobile health camps contribute towards long-term goals to improve the reproductive health status of women and to advance women's empowerment. The Government of Nepal fully supports the delivery of much needed uterine prolapsed surgeries. The Government is also providing operations and is committed to securing funds for the treatment of women with uterine prolapse. In addition, the new health policy directives, according to which health services will be free up to the Primary Health Care Centre level, will play a key role in improved reproductive health, including prevention of uterine prolapse in Nepal.
The project will be implemented by local NGOs in cooperation with district stakeholders, zonal hospitals and national and local government agencies.
For more information contact: Anna Adhikari, Communications Consultant, UNFPA,
adhikari@unfpa.org
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