Kathmandu, December 1:

The United Nations Population Fund today launched two projects, which would provide emergency reproductive health services to help people affected by conflict in mid- and far-west.

Key activities will include conducting mobile reproductive health outreach camps

that are expected to deliver services to over 50,000 women of reproductive age, men and adolescents. An estimated 430 women with uterine prolapse will be operated upon. The camps will provide facilities of screening, counselling, treatment and will also be able to raise awareness on family planning and prevention from the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Ugochi Daniels, UNFPA representative, said, “Sustainable reproductive health services are lacking in rural areas of the country. The projects would help deliver immediate services to populations in areas where access remains weak, particularly due to conflict.” She added that at the same time a sustainable comprehensive health-care service will be developed nationally.

The project aims to meet immediate needs of conflict affected populations and to build a sustainable service delivery system for reproductive health, including gender-based violence, through an increased understanding of the forms of and needed prevention mechanisms.

Dr Rajesh Gurung, UNFPA Reproductive Health specialist said there was a lack of emergency reproductive health care services in rural areas of the country. Access to health services during pre- and post-pregnancy situation is very rare, he rued.

“The reproductive health condition of rural women needs to be improved and such projects would help the country meet the targets set by Millennium Development Goals to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates,” he added. He opined that a joint venture of the government and international agencies was needed in the field of reproductive health.

An 18-month project is funded by the Danish Embassy in Kailali, while the other project is funded by European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) for conflict-affected people in mid-western Nepal.