Healthcare
The provision of healthcare facilities in Nepal is almost non-existent. Indeed, in the area that we work covering 25 schools there is only one small clinic - a walk from home of up to 1 day for many.
One of the worst outcomes of the extreme poverty in Nepal is the effect on health, particularly of the most vulnerable women, children, and the disabled.
Access to a nurse, doctor, or health assistant in the mountains where there are no roads is usually impossible for the most disadvantaged and at-risk. Even if they reach the help, it is often under-funded, lacking in drugs and facilities, and staffed with poorly trained and motivated employees.
With drugs at prices unaffordable to most Nepalese, who on average earn less than a dollar a day, the World Health Organisation has produced the following statistics:
| Health statistics in Nepal | |
| Women who have accessed healthcare during pregnancy | 1 in 4 (28%) |
| Women who have a trained assistant during birth | 1 in 10 (11%) |
| Women who die during child birth | 1 in 24 |
| Children who are very underweight | Half (48%) |
| Children who are stunted | Half (51%) |
| Children with suspected pneumonia | 1 in 4 (23%) |
| Children with diarrhoea | Half (43%) |
| People using improved water | 9 in 10 (90%) |
| People using adequate sanitation | 1 in 3 (35%) |
The above figures are truly awful and illustrate the size of the health problem in Nepal. The following table compares the UK and Nepal in terms of the income and outcomes:
| Indicator | Nepal | UK |
| Population (in millions) | 27 | 59 |
| Income per person (GDP) | $1,277 | $31,308 |
| Amount spent on healthcare per person | $64 | $2,389 |
| Proportion of money spent of health by the government | 5.3% | 8% |
| Male life expectancy | 61 | 76 |
| Female life expectancy | 61 | 81 |
| Under-5 mortality rate (per thousand population) | 77 | 5 |
We've produced a short Himalayan film featuring Nepal documentary footage on the struggles of children in the Himalaya and how we help them with your More
7th February
Jaladevi primary school has now got a roof over its new classrooms (sorry for the poor photo!)... More
21st November
.. More
20th June
Thanks to all our kind donors, we raised a little bit more money than was required for our original plans for Jaladevi School. Now, instead of.. [+Film] More
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