The National Health
Policy was adopted in 1991 (FY 2048 BS) to bring
about improvement in the health conditions of the
people of Nepal. The primary objective of the National
Health Policy is to extend the primary health care
system to the rural population so that they benefit
from modern medical facilities and trained health
care providers. The National Health Policy addresses
the following areas:
1. Preventive Health Services
Priority is given
to programmes that directly help reduce infant
and child mortality rates. Services are to be
provided in an integrated manner throughout the
health system to sub health posts at the local
level.
2. Promotive Health Services
The programmes that enable people
to live healthy lives will be given priority.
3. Curative Health Services
Curative health
services will be made available at all health
institutions-central, regional, zonal and district
hospitals; primary health care centres (PHCC),
health posts (HP), and sub health posts (SHP);
and, at health institutions at all levels of the
healthcare system. Hospital expansion will be
based on population density and patient loads.
Mobile teams will be organised to provide specialist
services to remote areas. A referral system will
be developed to direct the rural population to
well-equipped institutions.
4. Basic Primary Health
Services
Sub Health Posts
will be established in phased manner in all Village
Development Committees (VDC). One Health Post
in 205 electoral constituencies will be upgraded
in a gradual manner and converted to a Primary
Health Care Centre.
5. Ayurvedic and other
Traditional Health Services
The ayurvedic
system will be developed and other traditional
health systems (such as Unani, homeopathy, and
naturopathy) will be encouraged.
6. Organisation and Management
Improvements will
be made in the organisation and management of
health facilities at the central, regional and
district levels. This will include the integration
of the district hospitals and the public health
offices into District Health Offices.
7. Community Participation
in Health Services
Community participation
will be sought at all levels of healthcare through
the participation of female community health volunteers
(FCHV), traditional birth attendants (TBA) and
leaders of various local social organisations.
VDCs will provide sites for the location of SHPs.
8. Human Resources for
Health Development (HRH)
Technically competent
human resources will be developed for all health
facilities. Training centres and academic institutions
will be strengthened.
9. Resource Mobilisation
in Health Services
National and international
resources will be mobilised and alternative concepts
(such as health insurance, user charges, and revolving
drug schemes) will be explored.
10. Private, Non-Governmental
Health Services and Inter-sectoral Co-ordination
The Ministry of
Health will co-ordinate activities with the private
sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
and non-health sectors of HMG. The private sector
and NGOs will be encouraged to provide health
services.
11. Decentralisation and
Regionalisation
Decentralisation
and regionalisation will be strengthened; peripheral
units will be made more autonomous. District Health
Offices (DHO) will have a prominent role in the
planning and management of curative and promotive
health services from district to village levels.
12. Blood Transfusion
Services
The Nepal Red
Cross Society will be authorised to conduct all
programmes related to blood transfusion. The practice
of buying, selling, and depositing blood will
be prohibited.
13. Drug Supply
Improvements will
be made in the supplies of drugs by increasing
domestic production and upgrading the quality
of essential drugs through effective implementation
of the National Drug Policy.
14. Health Research
Health research will be encouraged
for better management of health services.
