Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) - 2011

Nepal has improved in almost all health indicators except neo-natal mortality. The neonatal mortality rate in the past five year was 33 deaths per 1,000 live births according to Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS)-2011 disseminated 26^th March 2012.

The NDHS had collected demographic and health information from a nationally representative sample of 10,826 households, which included interviews with 12,674 women between 15 to 49 years of age in all selected households and with 4,121 men aged 15 to 49 in every second household.

The survey showed that fertility in Nepal has declined over the past fifteen years. Currently, women in Nepal have an average of 2.6 children, a decrease from 3.1 in 2006. Women in urban areas have 1.6 children on average, compared with 2.8 children per woman in rural areas. Fertility is higher in the mid-western (3.2) and far western (2.8) regions than in the eastern, central or western (each 2.5) regions.

The report said that family planning use has remained essentially the same since 2006 and use of female sterilization has dropped slightly from 18 per cent in 2006 to 15 per cent in 2011, while male sterilisation has increased from six per cent to eight per cent. The NDHS revealed that 27 per cent of married women have an unmet need for family planning—ten per cent for birth spacing and 17 per cent for limiting.

The infant mortality rate for the five-year period before the survey was 46 deaths per 1,000 live births just two deaths below the infant mortality reported in 2006. Under-five mortality rate was 54 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 61 deaths per 1,000 in 2006.

Immunization coverage of children increased slightly during this period. Currently, 87 per cent of children aged 12 to 23 months are immunized against the six major childhood diseases whereas 83 per cent of children were fully immunized in 2006.

Nepali children are better nourished than in the past. In children under five years of age, 41 per cent are chronically malnourished and 11 per cent are wasted, While still high, these statistic represent a reduction from 2006 when 49 per cent were stunted and 13 per cent were wasted. Furthermore, data showed that 29 per cent of Nepali children under five were underweight in 2011, which is a decrease from 39 per cent in 2006.

Women’s health has improved over the last five years. In 2011, 58 per cent women received antenatal care from skilled providers, compared to 44 per cent women in 2006, and more than one in three (36 per cent ) births are delivered with the assistance of a skilled birth attendant currently compared to less than one in five births (19 per cent ) five years ago. Similarly, institutional delivery has also increased from 18 per cent in 2006 to 35 per cent in 2011.

The survey was conducted by New Era under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Population with funding from USAID.

Other NDHS findings

• About 57 per cent of households reported at least one migration in the past ten years.

• Majority of Nepalis have some education, although only eight per cent of female respondents aged 15 to 49 and 15 per cent male respondents in the same age group have studied beyond secondary education.

• Nepali households consist of an average of 4.4 people.

• More than 99 per cent of all women know at least one modern method of family planning.

• Only 38 per cent of women know that abortion is legal in Nepal.

• About 86 per cent women and 97 per cent men have heard of HIV/AIDS but knowledge of HIV prevention measure is slightly lower.

• More than two in 10 women (22 per cent) have suffered physical violence at some point since 15.

• Almost one-third of married women have suffered spousal abuse at some point in time, whether physical, emotional or sexual.