ABSTRACT
A recent report by Sigrun Møgedal (DIS: March 1996) reviewed the development of the health sector in Nepal. This is a highly recommended report, the main points of which are detailed below.
Development in the health sector is currently on the decline. Today the health infrastructure only treats about 20 per cent of the population with facility-based primary care. Equity and access to basic care are crucial issues for the health sector. There are severe gaps in the infrastructure and major underfunding. More efficient utilisation of available funds and additional funding are required. The types of external support are just as important as volume. Rapid privatisation with an urban focus is threatening to undermine public efforts, particularly in attracting scarce personnel. Measures are needed to limit curative specialised care to an equitable cost. There is a need for government to play a more proactive role in order to set an example to the private sector. Priorities and mechanisms for mutual accountability between public, private and NGO sectors must be established. There is a considerable development potential in the Norwegian NGO efforts in Nepal, as well as in the multi-or bilateral arrangements currently being developed with UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO.
