Nepal is a small landlocked country of 29 million people. It remained isolated until the middle of the twentieth century and still remains behind the rest of the world in basic parameters of development including health care. Nepal has one of the worst physician to population ratios in the world, dismal health indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality rates and the wide prevalence of infectious diseases with very poor medical infrastructure in the country. The scourge of other diseases like pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer is ever increasing.

For detailed information on health conditions in  Nepal, please see the following links:

Nepal Ministry of Health & Population

UNICEF

World Health Organization

For a recent summary of health conditions in Nepal, please see "Impact of long-term political conflict on population health in Nepal" by Sonal Singh in the December 7, 2004, issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

 

10/4/07