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ABOUT THIS STORY

USAID’s Health for Life project works to strengthen the Government of Nepal’s capacity to plan, manage and deliver high-quality maternal and child health services.

The maternal mortality ratio in Nepal has dropped more than 75 percent in 25 years, but women are still 25 times more likely to die due to pregnancy or a complication than those in the United States , according to the World Health Organization. Infant mortality has also dropped, from 78 per 1,000 live births in 1996 to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2016. Ensuring that more women get pre and post-natal care is important to reduce this number even further.

Following a devastating earthquake in 2015, many health facilities were damaged or destroyed. USAID is playing a key role in helping communities rebuild. The Health for Life project works in 10 earthquake-affected districts in addition to 18 districts in the underserved mid-western, western, and eastern regions of the country.

The smartphone tracking approach is reaching pregnant women who otherwise would not visit the health facility for prenatal or delivery services. In communities where this approach is being implemented, 79 percent of registered women attended all four recommended prenatal checkups, compared to a national average of 69 percent. Moreover, 77 percent of all registered pregnant women, including women of marginalized groups, delivered at a health facility, compared to the national rate of 57 percent.

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