Editing Nepal (section)

=== Health ===
{{Main|Health in Nepal}}
[[File:Life expectancy in Nepal.svg|thumb|Historical development of life expectancy in Nepal]]

Health care services in Nepal are provided by both the public and private sectors. Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 71 years as of 2017, 153rd highest in the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=29 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229134543/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> up from 54 years in the 1990s and 35 years in 1950.<ref name=ththeal>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nepal-ranks-second-in-lung-ailment-deaths/|title=Nepal ranks second in lung ailment deaths|date=12 August 2019|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183135/https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nepal-ranks-second-in-lung-ailment-deaths/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Life expectancy|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy|access-date=18 February 2022|website=Our World in Data|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813180308/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy|url-status=live}}</ref> Two-thirds of all deaths are due to non-communicable diseases; heart disease is the leading cause of death.<ref name=nhrc19>{{cite report|title=Nepal Burden of Disease 2017: A Country Report based on the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study|author=Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and Monitoring Evaluation and Operational Research (MEOR)|publisher=NHRC, MoHP, and MEOR|year=2019|location=Kathmandu, Nepal|url=https://nhrc.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NBoD-2017_NHRC-MoHP.pdf|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=26 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126175351/https://nhrc.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NBoD-2017_NHRC-MoHP.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> While sedentary lifestyle, imbalanced diet and consumption of tobacco and alcohol has contributed in the rise of non-communicable diseases, many lose their life to communicable and treatable diseases caused by poor sanitation and malnutrition due to a lack of education, awareness and access to healthcare services.<ref name=nhrc19/><ref name=tkpheal19>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/study-reveals-high-prevalence-of-non-communicable-diseases-in-nepal/|title=Study reveals high prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Nepal|date=5 August 2019|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183200/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/study-reveals-high-prevalence-of-non-communicable-diseases-in-nepal/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Nepal has made great progress in maternal and child health. 95% of children have access to iodised salt, and 86% of children aged 6 – 59 months receive Vitamin A prophylaxis.<ref name=unicefhealth/> Stunting, underweight and wasting has been reduced significantly;<ref name=unicefhealth>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicef.org/nepal/nutrition|title=Nutrition|website=UNICEF|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183143/https://www.unicef.org/nepal/nutrition|url-status=live}}</ref> malnutrition, at 43% among children under five, is extremely high.<ref name=ntimes19>{{cite web|url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nearly-half-of-nepali-children-still-malnourished/|title=Nearly half of Nepali children still malnourished|last=Awale|first=Sonia|date=6 November 2019|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183200/https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nearly-half-of-nepali-children-still-malnourished/|url-status=live}}</ref> Anemia in women and children increased between 2011 and 2016, reaching 41% and 53% respectively.<ref name=ntimes19/> Low birth weight is at 27% while breastfeeding is at 65%.<ref name=ntimes19/> Nepal has reduced maternal mortality rate to 229,<ref name=kpmm>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/02/10/maternal-mortality-reduction-target-hard-to-meet-for-nepal-officials|title=Maternal mortality reduction target hard to meet for Nepal: Officials|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183214/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/02/10/maternal-mortality-reduction-target-hard-to-meet-for-nepal-officials|url-status=live}}</ref> from 901 in 1990;<ref name=whomm>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/5/16-030516/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719033028/https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/5/16-030516/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 July 2016|title=WHO {{!}} Reaching Nepal's mothers in time|publisher=WHO|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref><ref name=kpmm/> infant mortality is down to 32.2 per thousand live births compared to 139.8 in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT?locations=NP&view=chart|title=Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) – Nepal {{!}} Data|publisher=World Bank|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183138/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT%3Flocations%3DNP%26view%3Dchart|url-status=live}}</ref> Contraceptive prevalence rate is 53% but the disparity rate between rural and urban areas is high due to a lack of awareness and easy access.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-far-from-hitting-contraceptive-target/|title=Nepal far from hitting contraceptive target|last=Bhattarai|first=Sewa|date=27 September 2019|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=11 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211200238/https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-far-from-hitting-contraceptive-target/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Progress in health is driven by strong government initiative in cooperation with NGOs and INGOs. Public health centres provide 72 essential medicines free of cost. In addition, the public health insurance plan initiated in 2016 which covers health treatments of up to Rs 50,000 for five members of a family, for a premium of Rs 2500 per year, has seen limited success, and is expected to expand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2018/06/07/health-insurance-plan-yet-to-cover-38-districts-in-nepal|title=Health insurance plan yet to cover 38 districts in Nepal|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183148/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2018/06/07/health-insurance-plan-yet-to-cover-38-districts-in-nepal|url-status=live}}</ref> By paying stipends for four antenatal visits to health centres and hospitalised delivery, Nepal decreased home-births from 81% in 2006<ref name="whomm"/> to 41% in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mhtf.org/2017/12/29/the-current-state-of-maternal-health-in-nepal/|title=The Current State of Maternal Health in Nepal|date=29 December 2017|publisher=Maternal Health Task Force|language=en-us|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183155/https://www.mhtf.org/2017/12/29/the-current-state-of-maternal-health-in-nepal/|url-status=live}}</ref> School meal programmes have improved education as well as nutrition metrics among children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/usda-wfp-provide-school-meals/|title=USDA, WFP to provide school meals|date=4 February 2018|website=The Himalayan Times|language=en-US|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183222/https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/usda-wfp-provide-school-meals/|url-status=live}}</ref> Toilet building subsidies under the ambitious "one household-one toilet" programme has seen toilet prevalence rate reach 99% in 2019, from just 6% in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/08/01/government-has-been-trying-to-eliminate-open-defecation-for-over-a-decade-here-s-why-it-hasn-t-worked|title=Government has been trying to eliminate open defecation for over a decade. Here's why it hasn't worked.|website=Kathmandu Post|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204183232/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/08/01/government-has-been-trying-to-eliminate-open-defecation-for-over-a-decade-here-s-why-it-hasn-t-worked|url-status=live}}</ref>