Safe Motherhood in Nepal

This study was commissioned by Ipas to review the effects of the Mexico City Policy (1993), also known as the Global Gag Rule, which was reinstated by US President George Bush in 2001 and prohibits all non-US non-government organizations that receive US government funding from performing or promoting abortion as a family planning method, even using their own or other non-US funding.  The study looks particularly at the effects on safe abortion programming in Nepal, where abortion was legalized in 2002 and there is now an active national safe abortion program, with services available in 70 of the 75 districts. Interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders at central and district levels, including representatives from the government service, international development agencies and local non-government agencies.

The study found that public and private services were affected, either by limitations placed on the activities of NGOs or by directives from the Department of Health Services to public facilities. These were mainly due to restrictions on the use of facilities for abortion services if they had been developed with US funding. Since district hospitals have limited resources, staff and space, in many cases this was seen to lead to use of sub optimal facilities. Information sharing at meetings and access to trainings is also affected.