Background

Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country located between China and India. The national language is Nepali and the dominant religion is Hinduism. It is 147,181 sq. km, of which under 20% is cultivable land. The population is 27,094,000, which is growing at a rate of 2.27% each year. More than 90% of the population lives in rural areas and agriculture is the main source of employment. Life expectancy is approximately 60 years for both men and women. Identified health risks, particularly in rural areas, include:

Undernutrition
Early marriage and childbearing
Poor housing conditions
Inadequate access to safe drinking water
Insufficient sanitation facilities
High incidence of alcohol and tobacco abuse

Ramechhap

The district of Ramechhap is located in the Janakpur zone and covers an area of 1,546 sq. km with a population of 212,408. The villages of Gaushwora, Lakhanpur and Thokarpur are located in Bhumethan, an area within Ramechhap. Transit within the hilly district is limited to walking tracks. The adult literacy rate is 48.3% for men and 16.9% for women over 15 years of age. Local villagers are either employed in agriculture or in migrant work, both in the capital city and internationally.

There is one hospital and one Primary Healthcare Centre, which employ three doctors. Therefore, for a population of 212,408, there is 1 doctor for approximately 70,000 people. The number of paramedicals or health assistants is considerably higher with a ratio of 1 per 2,600 people.