New mothers to receive Rs 5,000 in 25 districts

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Aug 24: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has carried out all the necessary steps to distribute Rs 5,000 to new mothers below the poverty line in 25 districts. This new initiative has been made to ensure that new mothers and newborns from poverty-stricken families will at least get nutrition during the first few months.

Lila Bikram Thapa, Chief of Nutrition Section, said, "We have forwarded the detailed working procedure to the health ministry and are waiting for their approval. We plan to distribute the amount declared by the government for new mothers within this month following the approval from the Health Ministry."

According to him, local levels are responsible for the implementation while the Department of Health Service (DoHS) is responsible for planning and all the working procedure.

Wards of the local levels in the designated district will recommend the name of the beneficiaries and the health office concerned will provide the amount to the local levels.

The local units will ensure that each criterion for getting the benefit of RS 5,000 is met and will then distribute it to new mothers who are in dire need of it.

This new initiative has been proposed to address the problem of nutrient deficiency in new mothers that are under the poverty line.  Baglung, Bajhang, Kalikot, Humla, Achham, Rauthat, Mahottari, Jajarkot, Rolpa, Mugu, Dolpa, Sarlahi, Doti, Siraha, Jumla, Pyuthan, Baitadi, Dailekh, Rukum, Dhanusa, Kapilvastu, Darchula, Saptari, Salyan and Dadeldhura.

For the first time, the government has allocated Rs 800 million to provide cash to the women of the said group this year.

Kalpana Pandey, public health inspector at the Nutrition Section, said that 23 per cent of children in Nepal are underweight, 10 per cent are wasting, and 36 per cent are stunted.

She said that new mothers below the poverty line in 25 designated districts will get the benefit of Rs 5,000 per baby for up to two babies, however, benefits will not be given at the birth of a third baby as per policy and programme of this year.