Implementation status of self-assessment/peer-group discussion program: a bottom-up approach of monitoring/supervision in improving quality of health services.

Background: Monitoring/supervision is an essential component for improving the quality of health services including rational use of medicines. A new bottom-up approach of monitoring/supervision consisting of self-assessment/ peer-group discussion was found to be effective in improving prescribing practices. The new strategy significantly improved the prescribing practices based on standard treatment guidelines.

Community intervention to improve knowledge and practices on commonly used drugs.

Background: World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about half of all medicines are inappropriately prescribed, dispensed and sold and about half of all patients fail to take their medicines properly.

Objective: The overall objective of the study was improving use of medicines in the community by creating awareness among different target groups.

Materials And Methods: It was a pre-post comparison of intervention implemented at the community level in purposively selected Bhaktapur District of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

An intervention improving prescribing practices and monitoring drugs availability in a district.

To improve the quality of health care in Nepal, supervision/ monitoring involving periodic visits by the district supervisor to health facilities (top-down approach) is in practice. It is not objectively implemented because of time and financial constraints and terrain of the country. To assess the effectiveness of a pre-tested strategy i.

Strengthening emergency obstetric care in Nepal: The Women's Right to Life and Health Project (WRLHP).

Introduction: The Women's Right to Life and Health Project contributes to Nepal's National Safe Motherhood Program and maternal mortality reduction efforts by working to improve the availability, quality and utilization of emergency obstetric care services in public health facilities.

Methods: The project upgraded 8 existing public health facilities through infrastructure, equipment, training, data collection, policy advocacy, and community information activities. The total cost of the project was approximately US$1.