Kathmandu, December 15
The Prachanda government has made public a 15-year national strategy that aims to increase the access of the poor, backward classes, ethnicities, minorities and people with disabilities to health services.
Minister for Health Gagan Thapa unveiled the strategy that aims to make health services accessible to all left-out sections of the society by 2088 BS (within 15 years from now).
Rajiv Pokharel, undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, said the strategy aims to reduce inequality in terms of health and nutrition and make health services accessible to all within 15 years. He said it is a special initiative of the ministry’s Policy, Planning and Implementation Section. Pokharel said the strategy, prepared after reaching out to target groups, aims to provide quality health services to sections of the national population for whom health services are not accessible.
The strategy has eight objectives. It aims to increase access of deprived classes to health services and increase use of the services, increase access of backward ethnicities/religious groups, poor and backward regions to such services, among others.
It aims to cater to poor, homeless communities, street children, migrant workers, people with disabilities, HIV victims, LGBTs, women sex workers and prisoners.
At the programme, Professor Dr Madhu Devkota said the ministry had prepared the strategy in coordination with target groups.
