The State of Child Health and Human Rights in Nepal

Abstract

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita gross national product of US$240. Nearly 40% of the 25 million people living in Nepal do so on less than a dollar a day [ 1]. About 90% of the population lives in rural areas. The high-intensity (more than 1,000 deaths per year) conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rebels and the government forces led by the Royal Nepalese Army has affected the health, education, and other rights of the most vulnerable members of society, especially women and children [ 2]. The conflict, which began in 1996, has resulted in widespread human rights violations by both parties as it draws the population into the conflict as both soldiers and victims. In this article we examine the evidence on the current state of child health and human rights in Nepal ( Box 1). We argue that time is running out for the children of Nepal, as they face an uncertain future if their health and human rights concerns are not addressed by local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the international community in a timely manner. We also suggest possible solutions to the current problem. Box 1. Search Strategy In order to identify information for our article, we searched Medline, Google Scholar, POPLINE, World Health Organization reports, United Nations Development Programme–Nepal reports, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (IRINnews) Web site, and Eldis Development Gateway, using the terms “Nepal,” “child health,” “human rights,” and “conflict.” We searched reports of several non-governmental organizations including Save the Children, Family Health International, and CARE Nepal. We selected articles for inclusion based on their relevance to the topic and their ability to advance our understanding of the impact of the conflict on child health and human rights. In addition, we identified unpublished research through contacts with authors and experts in the field. We acknowledge the lack of epidemiological studies directly linking the conflict to child health care in Nepal; documentation on crucial aspects of the conflict was often impossible to obtain and we rely on newspaper articles and eyewitness accounts at times. We drew from the collective expertise of the authors (SS, EB, KD) involved in delivering health care in Nepal and incorporated suggestions from international health experts and NGOs active in this field.