Nepal’s health insurance program: challenges and early impacts
Nepal’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), launched in 2016 to improve healthcare access and reduce costs, has faced low enrollment and high dropout rates due to concerns about service quality, lack of awareness, administrative delays, and affordability issues....
Health insurance programme to be restructured amid effectiveness concerns
The Nepalese government plans to restructure the national health insurance program to improve its effectiveness and sustainability, emphasizing stricter enforcement of the Health Insurance Act and raising the benefit cap for insured individuals. With Rs 10 billion...
Budget cap threatens years of Nepal’s healthcare gains
In the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26, Nepal will not initiate any new healthcare programs due to budget cuts, raising concerns about the sustainability of vital public health achievements, particularly in areas like maternal and child health. Officials from the...
WHO launches plan for free child cancer medicines in Nepal
WHO has launched a platform to provide free cancer medicines to children in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to improve survival rates. The initiative, supported by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, plans to benefit around 5,000 children this year and...
Training workshop on measuring financial protection for UHC in Nepal
The Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) in Nepal, with support from WHO, held a three-day workshop on financial protection for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) from February 17-19, involving various health officials and development partners. The Ministry of Health...
Sustainable financing for health
Sustainable health financing in Nepal is crucial for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), yet the country struggles to meet the WHO's recommendation of allocating at least 5 percent of its GDP to healthcare, primarily relying on high out-of-pocket payments....
Mission in Nepal spurs action
The P4H Network and the Leadership for UHC programme have been instrumental in Nepal. A recent mission has increased momentum to collaborate further.The keenly awaited P4H mission, led by P4H Network Coordinator Claude Meyer and composed of World Health Organization...
The Climate Change-Public Health Nexus in Nepal
Nepal's vulnerability to climate change has significant implications for public health, particularly for vulnerable demographics such as the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. The intersection of climate change and public health in Nepal...
PMAC side meeting – financing of primary health care in Southeast Asia Region
On 22 January 2024, PMAC side meeting – financing of primary health care in Southeast Asia Region was held in Bangkok, Thailand. This event was co-organized by WHO South-East Asia Region, Chulalongkorn University, and Mahidol University. In this side meeting, P4H...
Nepal: National Health Financing Strategy 2023- 2033
The Government of Nepal has recently endorsed a new ten-year strategy for health financing with the aim of ensuring equitable financial management to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) in Nepal. The National Health Financing Strategy 2080- 2090 includes strategic...
New document on payment mechanism for institutional births in Nepal is now available
Since 2005, Nepal government has implemented Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPs) for institutional birth. This study aimed to assess MIS coverage in Nepal and OOPs among women who had institutional births. Findings showed...
Family members of the migrant workers to be protected under health insurance in Nepal
To enable access to health services and financial protection among family members of the Nepali migrant workers, the Health Insurance Board has begun the process to include them under the health insurance following the Health Insurance Act-2074 BS. Currently, the...
Nepal reallocated health budget to response COVID-19
Nepal reported spending nearly half of the health budget to combat Covid-19 and address its impact on people’s livelihoods and the economy. To cover the costs, the government was forced to cut budget for various large hospitals in the country. Public health experts...
Nepal expanded health services in villages
Universal health coverage can be reached when all people can access quality health services. Nepal allocated the budget to establish new health centers, aiming to increase access to health care for the people living in the remote villages. To read more, please click...
New Report on Assessment of Social Health Insurance Scheme in Selected Districts of Nepal
Nepal has implemented the Social Health Insurance (SHI) scheme in February 2015, aiming to enhance financial protection through the pre-payment approach as well as risk pooling in the health sector This study assessed the performance of the SHI scheme in terms of...