News and Events
Launch of New Aama Programme
On 14th January 2009, the Government of Nepal launched a new programme that aims to save maternal and newborn lives by encouraging more women to deliver their babies in a health facility. The programme, called Aama (meaning mother in Nepali), combines free delivery services at any public health facility with the Safe Delivery Incentives Programme (SDIP) already in place. The SDIP provides women who deliver in a health facility with a lump sum payment to help offset their travel costs. National guidelines have been developed giving details of the provisions under the programme (see under “Government” in the Resources section of this website safemotherhood.org.np/default.php
Aama was based on the experiences with the SDIP, which was shown to have been successful in increasing by 24% the probability of a woman who knows about the incentives delivering in a health facility, and to have impacted more strongly on the poorest women. However, evaluations also noted that the incentives did not sufficiently protect women from the costs they had to pay for services at health facilities. This point was further reinforced by the finding that in 25 low human development index districts, where free services were given with the incentives, the increase in the percentage of women choosing to deliver in a health facility was much greater.
14/05/2009
Administrator
