Health facilities readiness for standard precautions to infection prevention and control in Nepal: A secondary analysis of Nepal Health Facility Survey 2021.

Background: Improvements in standard precaution related to infection prevention and control (IPC) at the national and local-level health facilities (HFs) are critical to ensuring patient's safety, preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), protecting health workers, and improving trust in HFs. This study aimed to assess HF's readiness to implement standard precautions for IPC in Nepal.

Methods: This study conducted a secondary analysis of the nationally-representative Nepal Health Facility Survey (NHFS) 2021 data and used the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) Manual from the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine the HF's readiness to implement standard precautions for IPC.

Unmet need for family planning and associated factors among currently married women in Nepal: A further analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey-2022.

Introduction: Family planning (FP) is crucial for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, promoting gender equality, and reducing poverty. Unmet FP needs persist globally, especially in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa leading to unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal fatalities. This study aims to identify the determinants of unmet needs for FP from a nationally representative survey.

Essential newborn care practices in health facilities of Nepal: Evidence from Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015 and 2021.

Availability of newborn care practices in health facilities (HFs) plays an important role in improving the survival and well-being of newborns. In this paper, we aimed to assess practice of carrying out different newborn care practices among HFs between 2015 and 2021, and associated factors in Nepal. We analyzed data of 621 and 786 HFs offering delivery and newborn care services from Nepal Health Facility Surveys 2015 and 2021, respectively.

Factors associated with uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening among Nepalese women: Evidence from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022.

Breast cancer screening (BCS) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) are integral parts of initiatives to reduce the burden associated with these diseases. In this context, we aimed to determine factors associated with BCS and CCS uptake among Nepalese women aged 30 to 49 years using data from the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2022. We performed a weighted analysis to account complex survey design of the NDHS 2022.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Inequalities in the Use of Modern Contraception among Currently Married Women.

Background: Despite interventions for over four decades, the unmet need for family planning is high in Nepal. This study aims to examine the status and the socioeconomic determinants of inequalities in modern contraception among currently married women.

Methods:  We applied a mixed-method design.

Trends and predictors of inequality in childhood stunting in Nepal from 1996 to 2016.

Background: Although decreasing in trend, one-in-three children remain stunted in Nepal and its distribution is unequal among different socioeconomic and geographical subgroups. Thus, it is crucial to assess inequalities in stunting for designing equity focused interventions that target vulnerable groups with higher burden of stunting. This study measures trends and predictors of socioeconomic inequalities in childhood stunting in Nepal.

Homestead Food Production and Maternal and Child Dietary Diversity in Nepal: Variations in Association by Season and Agroecological Zone.

Background: Suaahara, a large-scale integrated program, aimed to improve diets and nutritional status among women and children, in part by facilitating enhanced homestead food production (EHFP).

Objective: This study examines associations between EHFP and maternal and child dietary diversity and variations by season and agroecological zone (AEZ): mountains and terai.

Methods: We used data from household monitoring surveys (n = 2101 mothers; n = 994 children, 6-23 months), which included a 7-day dietary recall and maternal report on participation in 5 EHFP activities-received vegetable seeds, chicks, and technical support and participated in training and EHFP groups.

Postabortion contraception a decade after legalization of abortion in Nepal.

Objective: To assess the contraceptive information received and methods chosen, received, and used among women having abortions one decade after legalization of abortion in Nepal.

Methods: We examined postabortion contraception with questionnaires at baseline and six months among women obtaining legal abortions (n=838) at four facilities in 2011. Multivariate regression analysis was used to measure factors associated with method information, choice, receipt, and use.

Factors associated with choice of medical or surgical abortion among women in Nepal.

Objective: To investigate factors associated with women's choice of medical abortion (MA) or manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) in Nepal, where the government recently began offering MA services.

Methods: Structured exit interviews were conducted between January 19 and May 21, 2010, with women with a pregnancy of 63 days or less who underwent abortions at 7 clinics in 3 districts of Nepal. All those who accepted MA, and 1 in each 4 or 5 of those who underwent MVA, were invited for an interview.

Women's status and violence against young married women in rural Nepal.

Background: Studies conducted around the world consistently show the existence of violence against women. Despite the increasing number of studies being conducted on violence against young married women elsewhere, this subject has received little attention from researchers and policy makers in Nepal. This paper assesses the prevalence of violence among young married women in rural Nepal.