Nepal NCDI Poverty Commission reviews progress on Phase 2 agenda
The Nepal NCDI Poverty Commission met in Kathmandu on 6 June 2019 to conduct a mid-term review of activities undertaken in Phase 2 of their work, following publication of their Phase 1 report in March 2018. The Commission’s key objectives for this second phase include: disseminating the findings in the Commission report; determining the readiness of the Nepal Government to incorporate the recommendations of the report; critically analyzing NCDI poverty issues among children and young adults; and developing and piloting models for integrated delivery of NCDI services at health centers and first-level hospitals.
Commissioners meeting in Kathmandu on 6 June 2019.
As a first step toward developing integrated service delivery models, the Nepal Commission is conducting a facility assessment of the current availability and delivery of cost-effective and highly equitable health sector interventions at selected hospitals and health centers.
At the June 2019 meeting, the Commission reviewed progress and plans for the assessment. Facility surveys have been conducted at four facilities across different regions of the country and levels of the health system – Bayalpata Hospital, Achham; Palpa District Hospital; Chautara District Hospital; and Melamchi primary health care center, Sindhpalchowk. And plans are underway to conduct the survey at other health facilities as well. In addition, Dr. Bikash Devkota, Chief of the Policy, Population and International Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Health and Population proposed ways to incorporate the facility survey matrix in the upcoming Nepal Health Facility survey.
Bayalpata Hospital in Accham District, one of the first four facilities surveyed to assess delivery of cost-effective and equitable NCDI services.
The Commission also discussed findings that NCDIs account for 39% of total DALYs among children and youth, confirming the need for greater attention to policies and interventions to address this population.
Dr. Pushpa Chaudhary, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population and co-chair of the commission, ended the meeting with a vote of thanks.