Kathmandu, March 7:

The Family Health Directorate (FHD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has started encouraging what is called a ‘kangaroo technique’ of raising and taking care of newborns of the mothers from the underprivileged communities.

Under the technique evolved by the Access Programme of the USAID and enforced by the FHD in Mahakali and Seti zonal hospitals, a nursing mother is told to keep the baby close to her body so that the baby benefits from the warmth of the mothers’ body.

Apart from certain hospitals of the capital, the ‘Kangaroo technique’ is being popularised in three primary health posts in Kanchanpur. The programme, which is expected to bring down infant mortality rate from current 39 out of 1000 due to underweight, has the involvement of Save The Children US. “The FHD conducted a two-day programme recently to underline the importance of the technique in the capital,” a statement said.