Recent Accomplishments

Constituent Assembly Members on Reproductive Health

More than forty Constituent Assembly Members from different parties commit to push forward the endorsement of the Safe Motherhood Act and to monitor health facilities in their districts.

On December 29, 2008 the Parliamentarians gathered for the 'Advocacy Workshop for Constituent Assembly (CA) Members on Reproductive Health Issues' organized in Kathmandu by the National Health, Education, Information and Communication Center, Ministry of Health and Population (NHIECC, MoHP) and supported by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

It was the first one of five such events planned by the NHIECC to introduce 'Information Kit on Reproductive Health Issues for CA Members' published by the NHIECC with support from UNFPA and to create a common understanding among the CA members around the reproductive health issues.

During the programme Dr. Govinda Pd. Ojha, Director General, Department of Health Services (DoHS), MoHP presented an overview of the current health situation and policies in Nepal. In the following presentation, Dr. Bal Krishna Subedi, Director, Family Health Division (FHD), MoHP narrowed the scope of the discussion and briefed the participants on the reproductive health components including safe motherhood and newborn health. Both, Dr. Ojha and Dr. Subedi explained the role parliamentarians can and should play in bringing the health issues, and more specifically reproductive health issues, to the national agenda, including the new constitution. According to Dr. Ojha and Dr. Subedi CA members can encourage women in their respective districts to deliver in hospitals or assisted by a skilled birth attendant. The lawmakers can also lobby in the parliament for the revision of existing laws and formulation of new laws to address gender based violence (GBV).

The discussion that followed the presentations proved that reproductive health is a topic close to each and everyone. The participating CA Members were convinced that reproductive health is an issue that cannot be neglected and requested the Ministry to provide additional materials on the best ways to include the topic into the constitution. Many of the parliamentarians expressed also commitment to monitor health facilities' operations in their constituencies as well as voiced the need of increased advocacy for men who should be aware of reproductive health requirements of all the family members. Hon'ble CA Member, Ms. Durga Jayanti Rai who had a chance to acquaint herself with the health services delivery in Netherlands during a conference focusing on safe motherhood shared her knowledge. According to her, improvement in maternal health cannot be achieved without full political commitment and good health policies, examples of which could be employment of skilled births attendants in each sub-health post from local funds or paternity leave during and after delivery. She is committed to advocate among the fellow CA Members to lobby for more financial support for health, endorsement of Safe Motherhood Act and for achieving Millennium Development Goals

UNFPA acting Representative in Nepal, Ms. Ugochi Daniels praised the government's work in the health area and reassured UNFPA's determination to continue its work together with the government to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person is free of HIV/AIDS. She also reminded the international commitments Nepal has made to respect the reproductive health rights of its citizens.

While concluding the programme Hon'ble Giriraj Mani Pokharel, Minister for Health and Population appealed to the participants for the advocacy on reproductive health to other CA Members; for the monitoring of the health activities at different levels; more specifically, for backing increase in the national health budget and endorsement of the Safe Motherhood Act.

Reproductive Health Information Kit

For more information contact Gyanu Shrestha (NHEICC) at 4232119, gyshrestha@unfpa.org

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