Stories from Nepal: 2006

Monday, December 18, 2006

Maternal mortality major problem in Nepal: World Disaster Report

World Disaster Report 2006 has projected maternal mortality as major problem in Nepal.

The report, released here Monday in a programme organized by Nepal Red Cross Society has stated maternal mortality in Nepal as disaster.

Statistics presented by the Ministry of Health and Population states that 539 women among each hundred thousand die in Nepal at the time of giving birth.

Releasing the report president of the society Ramesh Kumar Sharma explained about the efforts made to contain the maternal mortality.

Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Nepal Matthew Kahane suggested to pay attention in standard rural health service.

Editor of the report Jonathan Walter, General Secretary of the society Dev Ratna Dhakhwa, Coordinator, Health Sector Reform Unit at Ministry of Health Dr. Baburam Marasini, Dr. Indira Basnet also spoke on problems of maternal and child mortality in Nepal.

"Globally, unsafe motherhood silently steals over half a million lives a year. In Nepal, between 5,000 and 6,000 mothers die each year in childbirth. This death toll of one woman every 90 minutes makes Nepal one of the deadliest places in the world to give birth – yet their plight goes unreported," the report says.

"Meanwhile, an estimated 30,000 babies a year die before they are a month old. Behind these hidden tragedies lie delays in seeking care, delays in reaching a healthcare facility and delays in accessing adequate treatment at the facility," the report has added.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Nepal's new constitution is country's sixth statute

The new constitution finalised by Nepal's ruling parties and the Maoist rebels Saturday that makes the prime minister both the head of government and state will be the country's sixth statute.

The first statute was in 1948 by the then Rana prime minister Padma Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana to firm up total rule by his clan.

The last one was implemented in November 1990 by king Birendra, lifting the ban on political parties.

The interim constitution, agreed upon after 10 years' of armed struggle by the Maoist guerrillas and over four months of negotiations, will remain in place till an election next year when a special assembly will choose between monarchy and republic.

The new statute's most salient feature is the suspension of the monarchy. Recognised as a constitutional monarch by the 1990 constitution, the king, however, has been stripped of all position in the government.

Even the ceremonial position of head of state has been assigned to the elected prime minister, who will wield all the powers going with the post.

There will be a new constitutional council that will recommend appointments to constitutional bodies.

A six-member security council will now come into being to mobilise the Nepal Army, once regarded as being loyal to the palace. Earlier, the army chief used to be part of the council.

Now, however, besides the prime minister, defence minister and home minister, the remaining members will be chosen by the premier from his cabinet.

The new pact keeps the cow as the national animal of Nepal despite an earlier Maoist objection, apparently for its association with the Hindu religion.

Thursday, July 20, 2006