Kathmandu, July 7:

The Nepal Health Research Council organised a regional meeting of the South Asian Forum for Health Research today to discuss the council’s goals and challenges.

Samlee Pilangbangchag, regional director of theWHO said, “There is a significant association between maternal mortality and socio-cultural context of the countries concerned. A country’s social and cultural dimension has to be taken into account for an effective intervention to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate.”

Minister for Health and Population Giriraj Mani Pokhrel said, “The public health system of Nepal has become a subject of research interest for international community. Nepal has made significant progress in the health

sector over the past decades.”