Minister for Health and Population, Rajendra Mahato, launched the report amid a function organized by Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the Ministry of Health and Population.[break]
On the occasion, Health Minister Mahato said the government was working to bring new health policy to reform the health sector.
Minister Mahato said the government was introducing ´Hello Health´ to hear and resolve the complaints facing the health sector. The safe motherhood programme would be made further effective in the future, he added.
The Save the Children report on "A Decade of Change for Newborn Survival, Policy and Programmes (2000-2010)" recognizes Nepal for obtaining ´huge´ achievement in newborn health despite high rate of poverty, weak infrastructure, geographical complications and the decade-long conflict.
The achievement was possible due to the neonatal care programme run in 34 districts by Ministry of Health and Population in financial and technical support from the Save the Children, said Parsuram Shrestha, Chief of the Neonatal Section of the Children Health Division.
FNJ General Secretary Om Sharma, journalist Atul Mishra among others discussed the role of media in creating awareness and controlling the neonatal mortality rate.
Apart from Nepal, the report shares the findings on newborn survival in four other countries including Bangladesh, Malawi, Pakistan, and Uganda.
Each year in Nepal, some 20,000 children die before reaching 28 days of life. This translates to 28 deaths per 1,000 births compared to 41 deaths per 1,000 births in the year 2000. Likewise, the under-five deaths remain at 56 per cent from what used to be 47 per cent in 2000, according to the report.
The government used global and local evidence to develop a national newborn health strategy and to design community-based newborn care package which was implemented initially in 10 districts and expanded in 35 districts in 2012. The programme would reach 46 districts in 2013.
Related story
Revised interest rate corridor system introduced
