The role of individual in solving the major health problems of Nepal

There is an important role of every individual of family and of society to solve the health problems of his own society. Every individual is the member of the society, and he has to be aware and devoted himself and encouraging to others to keep the clean environment, management of pollution, precaution towards diseases etc. If it happens, most of the health problems can be solved.

The role of individual to solve major health problems are:

• The individual who is the member of a community must have a good habit of personal hygiene.
• The individual must be aware of the existing health problem.
• The individual must be aware of the environmental sanitation and should motivate others to keep the environment health.
• The individual may protect himself/ herself against risks to which he/ she is exposed.
• The individual may set minimum standards of education, hygiene, medical treatment and so on in the interest of the community.
• The individual may motivate and guide the family members and others to set hygienic behavior.

Health problems can be solved through health education

In Nepal, many people die due to communicable diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and so on. The people especially in rural areas are not aware on sanitation. they are not provided proper medical care if they suffer from such diseases too. Due to the lack of knowledge in preventive as well as curative measures they fall in  sick and get deaths too. Some religious taboos and beliefs on which doctor also cause the death. Due to unawareness of parents many children get death. In this situation, if we provide health education, they may not die due to such diseases.

Health education brings awareness about sanitation, it teaches healthy habits and importance of proper care and treatment if they fall in sick. People can save themselves from many diseases if they have healthy habit which the health education teaches them.

Similarly, they become aware about the diseases and care properly if they fall in sick. Health education also helps people in this respect. Thus, many of the health problems can be solved through health education.

Infant mortality and maternal mortality affect the community health of Nepal

Infant mortality rate is generally regarded as the most sensitive indicator of health and the level of living of people. The infant mortality rate of Nepal is comparatively higher than the other Asian countries. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 1999 the number of death of infants below one year of age is 79 to 100. The major causes of infant mortality are lack of health services and facilities, poverty, early marriage, family size illiteracy, ignorance of child care, poor environmental sanitation etc. Thus, it has been recognized as one of the major health problems of Nepal. The high maternal mortality rate has also been accepted as a major health problem in Nepal. The maternal mortality rate was 75 per thousand up to the beginning of 8th five year plan, and now the figure is changed and it is 43.9 per thousand. However, the rate is still high in comparison to the developed country and some of the south Asian countries. The reasons behind this problem are illiteracy, poverty, lack of health awareness etc.

Methods of solving child and maternal mortality rate problems are:

• Educate illiterate and uneducated women and girls to the highest possible number and extent.
• Provide rural women with skill and trainings so that they will become, able to earn on their own.
• Conduct awareness generating programmers for the illiterate and backward women on maternal health, child spacing and superstition and orthodox practices.
• Provide medical care and treatment by efficient health personal.
• Manage allowance, supplementary food, shelter and clothes to the mothers.
• Pre-natal and post natal care to the newly born children.

High infant mortality rate is one of the major health problems of Nepal

High infant mortality rate is one of the major health problems in Nepal. When it is not sure whether the children born die or live, parents tend to give more births than they want. It causes population growth in one hand and on the other hand both the mother and children may not get proper care, which affects adversely in the health status on both mother and children. They will not be able to provide health services and facilities, nutritious food, quality education in such family. In 1994 the infant mortality rate was 90 per thousand. This rate is dropped to 64 in 2006. This rate is very high as compared to the rate of developed countries. Thus, infant mortality is considered as one major health problem of Nepal.

Prevalence of communicable diseases a major health problem of Nepal

Due to lack of sanitation, safe drinking water, healthy and nutritious food, Nepal is facing a problem of communicable and infectious diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid etc. About 45,000 children are dying per year due to diarrhea in Nepal.

Few decades ago, more deaths used to occur due to the famines, smallpox and malaria. Nowadays, these diseases have been eradicated. But the diseases like hepatitis 'B', HIV/ AIDS have appeared now as great problems.

The diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis may be cured easily, but people do not show such diseases even they are infected assuming that they would be hated by the society.

Thus, Nepal has been facing many great health problems of infectious diseases due to ignorance, poor sanitation, illiteracy and social customs.

The importance of community health

The study of community health helps to keep the healthy environment:

1. The prevalence of most communicable diseases are due to the poor sanitation. Most of the people throw their waste product in the open street which will create the problem of poor sanitation. If we study the community health, we analyze the community health problem as methods of controlling them.
2. Healthy manpower can be produced through improvement of community health:
3. If an individual keeps himself healthy, he could contribute to his country otherwise his birth might be useless. Therefore, such types of spirit can be developed through the study of community health.
4. Study the community health encourages people for social services:
5. If communities organize health camps, cleanliness campaign and many different activities. When they are benefited from those activities they are praised community health through their joint effort they will involve in such activities. Establishment of Nepal Red Cross Society, Nepal Paropakar Association, Local Health Clinics and clubs are some of the examples of such effort.
6. The importance of community health
7. The study of community health helps to keep the healthy environment:
8. The prevalence of most communicable diseases are due to the poor sanitation. Most of the people throw their waste product in the open street which will create the problem of poor sanitation. If we study the community health, we analyze the community health problem as methods of controlling them.
9. Healthy manpower can be produced through improvement of community health:
10. If an individual keeps himself healthy, he could contribute to his country otherwise his birth might be useless. Therefore, such types of spirit can be developed through the study of community health.
11. Study the community health encourages people for social services:
12. If communities organize health camps, cleanliness campaign and many different activities. When they are benefited from those activities they are praised community health through their joint effort they will involve in such activities. Establishment of Nepal Red Cross Society, Nepal Paropakar Association, Local Health Clinics and clubs are some of the examples of such effort.

The health programmes of as targeted by three years interim plan

To attain the vision, a three-year programme has been formed to enact different objectives. The objectives are enlisted below.

1. To upgrade the level of sub-health posts in accordance with the density and geographical remoteness to health post. To upgrade health institutions to primary health centers wherever there isn't one in an election area.
2. To give priority to all those who are socially, financially downcast; women, indigenous peoples, dalits, Muslim community, senior citizens and physically challenged in providing basic health service free of cost.
3. To make previsions such that the free health services provided by governmental and private hospitals be made available to neighboring districts as well. In addition, the private and teaching institutions to provide free of services to the people of a particular area.
4. To make health services available to citizens in far-western region, Mid-western region and marginalized area by developing the infrastructure and increasing health services manpower.
5. To give continuity to primary health principle and provide immunity, primary, promotional and curative health services. To be emphasize on surgery, sage motherhood, (reproduction, reproductive health, uterine prolapsed etc) and communicable diseases.
6. To make child inoculation and nutrition more effective.
7. To increase the number of gynecologists in the district hospitals.
8. To bring into action health programme in citizen and enact service for citizen health programmes.
9. To make alternative health services like ayurvedic medicine available to the citizens according to their choice. The concerned, districts and health institutions to bring into action national programmes in which all other institutions and the manpower involved to take active participation.
10. To contribute the services to the eye run by non-governmental organizations and add more such programmes for expansion.

Tenth five year plan regarding health programme

The health programmes of Nepal as targeted by tenth five year plan are as follows:

1. To expand accessibility of basic health services.
2. To provide the local authority with a responsibility of running health centers.
3. To expand vaccination program
4. To improve women health through high priority of reproductive health.
5. To control population growth through effective implementation of family planning programme.
6. To develop traditional alternative health service.
7. To coordinate for producing qualities health manpower.
8. To make health institution capable to manage epidemics.
9. To manage safe blood transfusion service.
10. To promote the concept of national health system, national health insurance, health tax etc.

Promotive Health Service

Promotive health services are those measures which intend to bring the improvement in the present health of the people. As an example, maternal-child health care, communicable disease control programme etc.

People of rural areas of Nepal do not have a good access to curative services and preventive services. The promotional health services are the only one way to make people healthy and avoid illness. If promotional method of health service becomes available to people suffering from malnutrition, unsafe motherhood and similar other situation, their life becomes better and healthy and their quality of life also improve. Since preventive and curative health service along are not sufficient for upgrading of public health, public promotional method should be followed.

Communicable disease is major problem in Nepal

Health profit of Nepal is very poor in comparison to other countries of the SAARC. Low life expectancy, infant mortality, child mortality, maternal mortality etc. are some of the indicators of poor health situation of Nepal. All of the above problems have a major reason which is communicable disease. Tuberculosis, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, worms, acute respiratory diseases and sexually transmitted diseases are some of great health problems in Nepal. Hence, communicable diseases are regarded as major problems in Nepal.

Following are the list of measures to be taken for prevention of communicable diseases:
a) Health education should be provided to increase awareness of diseases.
b) Children should be immunized against all fatal disease like tuberculosis, polio, measles etc.
c) Cleanliness in and outside home and management of latrines, drainage system etc. should be properly done.
d) Children should be breast fed for two years.
e) Reproductive health care, child care and maternal care should be promoted.
f) Nutritious food should be taken by all.
g) Regular health checkup should be done to detect early symptoms of diseases.
h) Personal hygiene, control of insects, cleanliness in drinking water and food should be promoted.

The objectives of Nepal Paropakar Santha

In Kathmandu, thousands of people killed by choleara in 1994 B.S. During that period, Mr. Dayabir Singh Kansakar provides free health services to the infected people with the help of some volunteers. A group of Paropakar volunteers started their work since 2003 B.S. (1946). But the Nepal Paropakar Sanstha was finally established on 10th Aswin 2004 B.S. The central office of this Sanstha has been providing the following objectives or services:
a) This association has established a charitable programme for helping poor or suffering people.
b) It distributes free medicines and provides free health services to poor and orphans through the establishment of primary health depots in different parts of the country.
c) It is also providing ambulance services.