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Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue in Nepal. IPV has social and economic impacts on women, family, and the wider society. In this study, we aimed to determine factors associated with IPV among currently partnered women aged 15–49. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022. The study examines the lifetime prevalence of IPV. IPV was measured in three domains: experience of physical violence, emotional violence, and sexual violence. Weighted univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were applied to determine factors associated with IPV. The results of logistic regression were presented as crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of 3853 women, 27.2% had experienced any form of IPV. The lifetime prevalence of physical violence, emotional violence, and sexual violence were 23.2%, 12.8%, and 7.1%, respectively. Higher odds of physical violence were reported among women aged 35–49 years (AOR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.58–2.87), women without formal education (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.10–2.06), and women who justified wife-beating (AOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.00–1.52). Women from poor households (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.12–2.35) and women with uneducated partners (AOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.08–2.58) were at higher risk of experiencing sexual violence. Women with unemployed husbands reported a higher risk of physical violence (AOR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.45–5.06) and emotional violence (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.12–2.35). Conclusion: Almost one in three currently partnered women experienced some form of IPV in their lifetime. Various sociodemographic, partner-related, and women's empowerment-related factors were associated with experiencing IPV. Acknowledging and addressing these factors is essential to mitigating the high rates of IPV among reproductive aged women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improvements in standard precaution related to infection prevention and control (IPC) at the national and local-level health facilities (HFs) are critical to ensuring patient's safety, preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), protecting health workers, and improving trust in HFs. This study aimed to assess HF's readiness to implement standard precautions for IPC in Nepal. Methods: This study conducted a secondary analysis of the nationally-representative Nepal Health Facility Survey (NHFS) 2021 data and used the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) Manual from the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine the HF's readiness to implement standard precautions for IPC. The readiness score for IPC was calculated for eight service delivery domains based on the availability of eight tracer items: guidelines for standard precautions, latex gloves, soap and running water or alcohol-based hand rub, single use of standard disposal or auto-disable syringes, disinfectant, safe final disposal of sharps, safe final disposal of infectious wastes, and appropriate storage of infectious waste. We used simple and multiple linear regression and quantile regression models to examine the association of HF's readiness with their characteristics. Results were presented as beta (β) coefficients and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: The overall readiness scores of all HFs, federal/provincial hospitals, local HFs, and private hospitals were 59.9±15.6, 67.1±14.4, 59.6±15.6, and 62.6±15.5, respectively. Across all eight health service delivery domains, the HFs' readiness for tuberculosis services was the lowest (57.8±20.0) and highest for delivery and newborn care services (67.1±15.6). The HFs performing quality assurance activities (β = 3.68; 95%CI: 1.84, 5.51), reviewing clients' opinions (β = 6.66; 95%CI: 2.54, 10.77), and HFs with a monthly meeting (β = 3.28; 95%CI: 1.08, 5.49) had higher readiness scores. The HFs from Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim had readiness scores higher by 7.80 (95%CI: 5.24, 10.36), 7.73 (95%CI: 4.83, 10.62), 4.76 (95%CI: 2.00, 7.52), 9.40 (95%CI: 6.11, 12.68), and 3.77 (95%CI: 0.81, 6.74) compared to Koshi. Conclusion: The readiness of HFs to implement standard precautions was higher in HFs with quality assurance activities, monthly HF meetings, and mechanisms for reviewing clients' opinions. Emphasizing quality assurance activities, implementing client feedback mechanisms, and promoting effective management practices in HFs with poor readiness can help to enhance IPC efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Family planning (FP) is crucial for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, promoting gender equality, and reducing poverty. Unmet FP needs persist globally, especially in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa leading to unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal fatalities. This study aims to identify the determinants of unmet needs for FP from a nationally representative survey. Methods: We analyzed the data of 11,180 currently married women from nationally representative Nepal Health Demographic Survey 2022. We conducted weighted analysis in R statistical software to account complex survey design and non-response rate. We conducted univariate and multivariable binary and multinomial logistic regression to assess association of unmet need for FP with independent variables including place of residence, province, ecological belt, ethnicity, religion, current age, participant's and husband's education, occupation, wealth quintile, parity, desire for child, and media exposure. Results: The total unmet FP need was 20.8% (95%CI: 19.7, 21.9) accounting 13.4% (95%CI: 12.5, 14.4) for unmet need for limiting and 7.4% (95%CI: 6.8, 8.0) for unmet for spacing. Lower odds of total unmet need for FP were present in 20–34 years and 35–49 years compared to <20 years, women belonging to Madhesi ethnic group (AOR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.64, 0.95) compared to Brahmin/Chhetri, women from richest (AOR: 0.69; 95%CI: 0.56, 0.84), richer (AOR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.68, 0.97) and middle wealth quintile (AOR: 0.82; 95%CI:0.70, 0.98) groups compared poorest wealth quintile group and women belonging to rural area (AOR: 0.89; 95%CI: 0.80, 0.99) compared to urban area. Higher odds of unmet need for FP were present among women with basic (AOR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.17, 1.54), and secondary level (AOR: 1.32; 95%CI: 1.12, 1.56) education compared to women without education, among women from Madhesh (AOR: 1.56; 95%CI: 1.22, 1.98), Gandaki (AOR: 2.11; 95%CI: 1.66, 2.68), Lumbini (AOR: 1.97; 95%CI: 1.61, 2.42) and Sudurpashchim province (AOR: 1.64; 95%CI: 1.27, 2.10) compared to Koshi province and among women whose husband education was basic level (AOR:1.37; 95%CI: 1.15, 1.63), or secondary level (AOR: 1.32; 95%CI: 1.09, 1.60) education. Conclusion: Nepal faces relatively high unmet FP needs across various socio-demographic strata. Addressing these needs requires targeted interventions focusing on age, ethnicity, religion, education, and socio-economic factors to ensure universal access to FP services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nepal has made incremental progress in improving coverage of maternal health services leading to improved health outcomes. Government and other health sector stakeholders have consistently considered dissemination of educational messages on maternal health through mass media. However, in Nepal's context, the media's influence on the uptake of maternal health services is less known. This study examines the links between media exposure and maternal health service use in Nepal. Method: Our analysis is based on the nationally representative Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 data. We analyzed data from 1933 women aged 15–49 who had given birth in the two years preceding the survey. Weight analysis was performed to account for complex survey design. We presented categorical variables as frequency, percentage, and corresponding 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between media exposure and maternal health service use, and the results are presented as crude (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with 95% CI. Results: Women exposed to internet use had 1.59 times [AOR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.16, 2.19], and those exposed to radio and television health programs had 1.73 times [AOR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.17, 2.56] higher odds of having four or more Antenatal Care (ANC) visits. Similarly, women exposed to mass media had 1.32 times [AOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.74] and those exposed to health programs had 1.50 times [AOR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.21] higher odds of having an institutional delivery. However, mass media exposure, internet use, and health program exposure were not significantly associated with increased postnatal care of mother and newborn. Conclusion: Exposure to health programs and internet use are positively associated with four or more ANC visits. Exposure to mass media and health programs are positively associated with increased institutional delivery. Our findings imply that well-designed campaigns and awareness programs delivered through mass media platforms play a vital role in enhancing the uptake of maternal health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal's imminent graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status marks a significant milestone in its development trajectory, highlighting substantial progress in economic, social, and human development indicators. This transition necessitates a strategic approach to capitalize on newfound opportunities while mitigating associated challenges. Drawing on insights from socio-economic indicators and economic evolution data, this paper assesses Nepal's readiness for graduation and outlines key priorities for its post-LDC journey. Emphasizing sustainable development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the paper advocates for in-country resource mobilization, system strengthening with a localization focus, human capital development, market access facilitation, resilience building, and promotion of foreign direct investment. By leveraging international support, prioritizing strategic initiatives, and fostering conducive environments for growth and investment, Nepal can navigate the transition effectively and pave the way for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although there has been a significant focus on improving maternal and newborn health and expanding services in Nepal, the expected positive impact on the health of mothers and newborns has not been achieved to the desired extent. Nepal not only needs to focus on improving access to and coverage of services but also the quality to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. In this context, we aimed to analyze Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEmONC) service availability and readiness in Health Facilities (HFs) of Nepal. Methods: We analyzed data from nationally representative Nepal Health Facility Survey (NHFS), 2021. BEmONC service availability and readiness in HFs was measured based on the "Service Availability and Readiness" manual of World Health Organization (WHO). We measured service availability by seven BEmONC signal functions. The readiness score was calculated for three domains- guidelines and staff training, essential equipment/supplies, and essential medicines on a scale of 100, and the average score for the three domains was the overall readiness score. We performed weighted descriptive and inferential analysis to account complex survey design of NHFS 2021. We summarized continuous variables with descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation, median and interquartile range whereas categorical variables with percent and 95% confidence interval (CI). We applied simple, and multivariate linear regression to determine factors associated with the readiness of HFs for BEmONC services, and results were presented as beta (β) coefficients and 95% CI. Results: Of total 804 HFs offering normal vaginal delivery services, 3.1%, 89.2%, 7.7% were federal/provincial hospitals, local HFs, and private hospitals respectively. A total of 45.0% (95% CI: 34.9, 55.6) federal/provincial hospitals, 0.3% (95% CI: 0.2, 0.6), local HFs (district hospital, primary health care centers, health posts, urban health centers) and 10.5% (95% CI: 6.6, 16.4) private hospitals, had all seven BEmONC signal functions. The overall readiness of federal/provincial hospitals, local HFs, and private hospitals were 72.9±13.6, 54.2±12.8, 53.1±15.1 respectively. In multivariate linear regression, local HFs (β = -12.64, 95% CI: -18.31, -6.96) and private hospitals had lower readiness score (β = -18.08, 95% CI: -24.08, -12.08) compared to federal/provincial level hospitals. HFs in rural settings (β = 2.60, 95% CI: 0.62, 4.58), mountain belts (β = 4.18, 95% CI: 1.65, 6.71), and HFs with external supervision (β = 2.99, 95% CI:1.08, 4.89), and quality assurance activities (β = 3.59, 95% CI:1.64, 5.54) had better readiness scores. Conclusion: The availability of all seven BEmONC signal functions and readiness of HFs for BEmONC services are relatively low in local HFs and private hospitals. Accelerating capacity development through training centers at the federal/provincial level, onsite coaching, and mentoring, improving procurement and supply of medicines through federal/provincial logistic management centers, and regular supportive supervision could improve the BEmONC service availability and readiness in facilities across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaemia in pregnancy is a persistent health problem in Nepal and could be reduced through nutrition counselling and strengthened iron folic acid supplementation programmes. We analysed 24-hour diet recall data from 846 pregnant women in rural plains Nepal, using linear programming to identify the potential for optimised food-based strategies to increase iron adequacy. We then conducted qualitative research to analyse how anaemia was defined and recognised, how families used food-based strategies to address anaemia, and the acceptability of optimised food-based strategies. We did 16 interviews of recently pregnant mothers, three focus group discussions with fathers, three focus group discussions with mothers-in-law and four interviews with key informants. Dietary analyses showed optimised diets did not achieve 100 % of recommended iron intakes, but iron intakes could be doubled by increasing intakes of green leaves, egg and meat. Families sought to address anaemia through food-based strategies but were often unable to because of the perceived expense of providing an 'energy-giving' diet. Some foods were avoided because of religious or cultural taboos, or because they were low status and could evoke social consequences if eaten. There is a need for counselling to offer affordable ways for families to optimise iron adequacy. The participation of communities in tailoring advice to ensure cultural relevance and alignment with local norms is necessary to enable its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the perceived roles of children in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in two sites across Nepal. AMR is a global challenge and underpinned by many complex behavioural drivers including how antimicrobial medicines are sourced and used. Because of this social dynamic, several research groups are using community engagement (CE) approaches to understand AMR at community level. However, most data negate the importance of children in behaviours linked to, and potentially driving AMR. In this study, authors apply secondary analysis methods to 10 transcripts representing the views of 23 adults engaged in an AMR-focused film-making project. By focusing on participants' reference to children, we reveal that antimicrobial usage and adherence to health providers' messages can be influenced by the age of the patient. Secondly that children are involved in some of the behaviours which are known to drive antimicrobial resistance such as purchasing over-the-counter antibiotic drugs. Finally, community members discuss that, with careful creation of resources, AMR could be meaningfully presented in educational settings with a view to children acting as agents of change around AMR-driving behaviours. Findings suggest that age-inclusive community engagement projects could be effective in tackling AMR at community level in Nepal and other low resource settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic affected access to antenatal care in low and middle-income countries where anaemia in pregnancy is prevalent. We analyse how health workers provided antenatal care and the factors affecting access to antenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kapilvastu district in the western plains of Nepal. We used qualitative and quantitative methodologies, conducting eight semi-structured interviews with health workers who provided antenatal care during the pandemic, and a questionnaire containing open and closed questions with 52 female community health volunteers. Antenatal care was severely disrupted during the pandemic. Health workers had to find ways to provide care with insufficient personal protective equipment and guidance whilst facing extreme levels of stigmatisation which prevented them from providing outreach services. Pregnant women were fearful or unable to visit health institutions during the pandemic because of COVID-19 control measures. Pre-pandemic and during the pandemic health workers tried to contact pregnant and postpartum women and families over the phone, but this was challenging because of limited access to phones, and required pregnant women to make at least one antenatal care visit to give their phone number. The pandemic prevented new pregnancies from being registered, and therefore the possibilities to provide services over the phone for these pregnancies were limited. To reach the most marginalised during a pandemic or other health emergency, health volunteers and households need to exchange phone numbers, enabling proactive monitoring and care-seeking. Strengthening procurement and coordination between the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government is needed to ensure adequacy of antenatal supplies, such as iron folic acid tablets, in health emergencies. Community engagement is important to ensure women and families are aware of the need to access antenatal care and iron folic acid, and to address stigmatisation of health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global strategy for women's, children's and adolescents' health (2016-2030) recognizes that people have a central role in improving their own health. We propose that community participation, particularly communities working together with health services (co-production in health care), will be central for achieving the objectives of the global strategy. Community participation specifically addresses the third of the key objectives: to transform societies so that women, children and adolescents can realize their rights to the highest attainable standards of health and well-being. In this paper, we examine what this implies in practice. We discuss three interdependent areas for action towards greater participation of the public in health: improving capabilities for individual and group participation; developing and sustaining people-centred health services; and social accountability. We outline challenges for implementation, and provide policy-makers, programme managers and practitioners with illustrative examples of the types of participatory approaches needed in each area to help achieve the health and development goals. La Strategie mondiale pour la sante de la femme, de l'enfant et de l'adolescent (2016-2030) reconnait que les individus jouent un role central dans l'amelioration de leur propre sante. Nous pensons que la participation communautaire, et notamment des communautes qui travaillent avec les services de sante (coproduction en matiere de soins de sante), sera essentielle pour atteindre les objectifs de la strategie mondiale. La participation communautaire repond plus particulierement au troisieme objectif cle: transformer les societes afin que les femmes, les enfants et les adolescents puissent exercer leur droit dejouirdu meilleur etat de sante et de bien-etre possible. Dans le present rapport, nous examinons ce que ceci suppose dans la pratique. Nous analysons trois domaines interdependants dans le cadre d'une action visant une plus grande participation du public en matiere de sante: ameliorer la capacite de participation des individus et des groupes, developper et assurer la perennite des services de sante axes sur l'etre humain, et favoriser la responsabilisation sociale. Nous donnons par ailleurs un apercu des difficultes liees a la mise en oeuvre et fournissons aux decideurs, aux administrateurs de programmes et aux professionnels de la sante des exemples illustrant les differents types d'approches participatives necessaires dans chaque domaine pour atteindre les objectifs lies a la sante et au developpement. La Estrategia Mundial para la Salud de la Mujer, el Nino y el Adolescente (2016-2030) reconoce que las personas tienen un papel fundamental a la hora de mejorar su propia salud. Proponemos que la participacion comunitaria, concretamente las comunidades que trabajan junto con los servicios sanitarios (coproduccion de atencion sanitaria), sea fundamental para lograr los objetivos de la estrategia mundial. En particular, la participacion comunitaria aborda el tercer objetivo fundamental: transformar las sociedades de modo que las mujeres, los ninos y los adolescentes puedan ejercer sus derechos de salud y bienestar en la mayor medida posible. En este articulo se examina lo que esto implica en la practica. Se debaten tres ambitos de accion interdependientes que se encaminan hacia una mayor participacion del publico en la sanidad: mejorar las capacidades para la participacion individual y en grupo; desarrollar y mantener servicios sanitarios centrados en las personas; y contabilidad social. Se repasan los desafios para su implementacion,y se ofrece a los responsables politicos, gestores de programas y medicos ejemplos ilustrativos de los tipos de enfoques de participacion necesarios en cada ambito para contribuir a alcanzar los objetivos sanitarios y de desarrollo., Introduction The Global strategy for women's, children's and adolescents' health (2016-2030) calls for action towards three objectives for health: survive (end preventable deaths), thrive (ensure health and well-being) and transform [...]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health problem underpinned by complex drivers and behaviours. This is particularly so in low – and middle-income countries (LMICs), where social and systemic factors fuel (mis)use and drive AMR. Behavioural change around antimicrobial use could safeguard both existing and future treatments. However, changing behaviour necessitates engaging with people to understand their experiences. This publication describes a knowledge-exchange cluster of six LMIC-based projects who co-designed and answered a series of research questions around the usage of Community Engagement (CE) within AMR. Findings suggest that CE can facilitate AMR behaviour change, specifically in LMICs, because it is a contextualised approach which supports communities to develop locally meaningful solutions. However, current CE interventions focus on human aspects, and demand-side drivers, of AMR. Our cluster suggests that broader attention should be paid to AMR as a One Health issue. The popularity of mixed methods approaches within existing CE for AMR interventions suggests there is interdisciplinary interest in the uptake of CE. Unfortunately, the specificity and context-dependency of CE can make it difficult to evaluate and scale. Nevertheless, we suggest that in synthesising learnings from CE, we can develop a collective understanding of its scope to tackle AMR across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To implement and evaluate a public-private partnership to deliver the internationally recommended strategy DOTS for the control of tuberculosis (TB) in Lalitpur municipality, Nepal, where it is estimated that 50% of patients with TB are managed in the private sector. METHODS: A local working group developed a public-private partnership for control of TB, which included diagnosis by private practitioners, direct observation of treatment and tracing of patients who missed appointments by nongovernmental organizations, and provision of training and drugs by the Nepal National TB Programme (NTP). The public-private partnership was evaluated through baseline and follow-up surveys of private practitioners, private pharmacies, and private laboratories, together with records kept by the Nepal NTP. FINDINGS: In the first 36 months, 1328 patients with TB were registered in the public-private partnership. Treatment success rates were >90%, and

Many countries, and particularly those including fragile contexts, have a shortage of formal health workers and are increasingly looking to close-to-community (CTC) providers to fill the gap. The experiences of CTC providers are shaped by context-embedded gender roles and relations. This qualitative research study in Lebanon, Nepal, Myanmar and Sierra Leone explored the gendered experiences of CTC providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in fragile settings. We used document review, in-depth interviews or focus group discussions with CTC providers, and key informant interviews with local stakeholders to generate in-depth and contextual information. The COVID-19-associated lockdowns and school closures brought additional stresses, with a gendered division of labour acutely felt by women CTC providers. Their work is poorly or not remunerated and is seen as risky. CTC providers are embedded within their communities with a strong willingness to serve. However, they experienced fractures in community trust and were sometimes viewed as a COVID-19 risk. During COVID-19, CTC providers experienced additional responsibilities on top of their routine work and family commitments, shaped by gender, and were not always receiving the support required. Understanding their experience through a gender lens is critical to developing equitable and inclusive approaches to support the COVID-19 response and future crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing a farm to increase ecosystem service provisioning requires farmers to understand and balance both these direct (e.g. crop-pollinator) and indirect (e.g. crop-pollinator-wild plant) associations with the crop, though these may not always be obvious. Ecosystem service, food security, Nepal, network, nutrition, pollination, smallholder farm, socio-ecological system Keywords: ecosystem service; food security; Nepal; network; nutrition; pollination; smallholder farm; socio-ecological system EN ecosystem service food security Nepal network nutrition pollination smallholder farm socio-ecological system 563 575 13 04/06/22 20220401 NES 220401 INTRODUCTION Smallholder farms are those operated by individual households, largely with their own labour and generally <2 ha in area (FAO, 2018). [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become the leading public health problems worldwide and the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is one of the major NCDs. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal are the key drivers to implementing frontline health services. We explored the potential for engaging FCHVs for CVD risk screening at the community level in Nepal. Methods: We used multiple approaches (quantitative and qualitative) for data collection. The trained FCHVs administered CVD risk screening questionnaire among 491 adults in rural and urban areas and calculated the CVD risk scores. To maintain consistency and quality, a registered medical doctor also, using the same risk scoring chart, independently calculated the CVD risk scores. Kappa statistics and concordance coefficient were used to compare these two sets of risk screening results. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted. Two focus group discussions among the FCHVs were conducted to determine their experiences with CVD risk screening and willingness to engage with CVD prevention and control efforts. Results: The mean level of agreement between two sets of risk screening results was 94.5% (Kappa = 0.77, P<0.05). Sensitivity of FCHV screening was 90.3% (95% CI: 0.801–0.964); and the specificity was 97% (95% CI: 0.948, 0.984). FCHVs who participated in the FGDs expressed a strong enthusiasm and readiness to using the CVD risk screening tools. Despite their busy workload, all FCHVs showed high level of motivation and willingness in using CVD risk screening tools and contribute to the prevention and control efforts of NCDs. The FCHVs recommended needs for providing additional training and capacity building opportunities. Conclusion: We conclude that there is a potential for engaging FCHVs to use simple CVD risk screening tools at the community level. The findings are promising, however, further studies engaging larger number of FCHVs and larger population would warrant feasibility of such tools within the existing healthcare systems in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]