The Doti and Achham districts of far western Nepal
are
currently lacking basic health services.
With only one
physician for the districts' 450,000 residents, maternal
and
child health outcomes in particular are some of the
worst in
the world. This project is for the development of
sustainable healthcare delivery infrastructure and
training
for Nepalese community healthcare workers in the area of
maternal and child health. It is part of a larger
initiative
between university-based healthcare providers in the
U.S. and
their Nepalese counterparts (Nyaya Health), in an
effort to improve health outcomes in western Nepal.
In the western districts of Achham and Doti, maternal and child care services are almost totally unavailable. Only 3% of pregnancies are attended by a trained healthcare worker, and nearly 1 in 100 pregnancies result in the mother's death. Infant mortality rates are near 90 per 1000 live births, and childhood malnutrition rates are approximately 60%; 69% of children aged 6-36 months exhibit stunted growth while 18% show severe wasting. These rates are three times those observed in Kathmandu and over twenty times those observed in wealthy nations. Over 80% of the population in Achham and Doti has no access to sanitation, resulting in high rates of diarrheal disease, and 60-65% of children have chronic intestinal helminthic infections. Despite these alarming data, infrastructure for the delivery of maternal and child healthcare is nonexistent, with the single government clinic being largely non-operational.
Our strategy for improving maternal and child health services in the districts of Achham and Doti is based on two core principles: 1) that the delivery of appropriate care to this area will rely upon building new medical infrastructure; and 2) that the delivery of medical services can best be made self-sustaining by incorporating the instruction and training of Nepali medical personnel into the development of this infrastructure.
See the latest report from Nyaya Health. The clinic was opened for business April 6, 2008.
For more information about this project, see Perinatal and Pediatric Care in Western Nepal, 2008 First Quarter Report or contact ANMF.
This is a unique opportunity for you to make a difference for the people of Nepal. Please make a donation to the America Nepal Medical Foundation. ANMF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible.
After you fill in the information below (so ANMF can track and acknowledge your contribution), you will be taken to a page with details on how to make your gift. Donations can be made to ANMF by check or online with a credit card, but a check means that a little bit more money gets to Nepal.
Thank you!