Kathmandu, August 4

The Ministry of Health is preparing to extend the duration of maternity leave from two months to six months in a bid to improve the health of new mothers and infants.

Currently, female civil servants are given a two-month maternity leave twice during service period and male employees are given 15-day maternal care leave. The ministry has already presented a bill relating to reproductive health and safe motherhood to the Parliament, proposing extension of maternal leave.

Information about this was shared at a programme organised by the Child Health Division to apprise members of the Parliament’s Women, Children, Senior Citizen and Social Welfare Committee about the new provisions in the bill and also about the importance of breastfeeding to children.