Safe Motherhood in Nepal

A study carried out under the DfID Health Sector Reform Support Programme (HSR-SP) by Riitta-Liisa Kolehmainen-Aitken and Ishwar Shrestha (RTI International, 2009, Human Resource Strategy Options for Safe Delivery. Research Triangle Park, NC, USA reviewed staffing in a selection of district hospitals, Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC) and health posts in 15 districts of Nepal. Findings highlighted critical shortages, such as lack of staff nurses in PHCCs and health posts; unfilled posts and incomplete safe delivery teams in district hospitals; and lack of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) in health posts.

The report made recommendations for seven strategic approaches to address these issues and improve the availability and quality of safe delivery services. SSMP/ Options and HSR-SP have worked with the Ministry of Health and Population, using these recommendations as a basis for developing a draft Human Resource Management Strategy for meeting staffing needs for safe delivery. The draft strategy particularly focuses on peripheral services in outlying areas, which are those most likely to be used by poor and marginalised women and where the staff shortages are greatest.