KATHMANDU, AUGUST 20
Stakeholders have reviewed and prioritised indicators to assess how effectively Nepal’s mental health policies and programmes are being implemented.
The indicators were discussed at a consultation workshop organised in Kathmandu by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety, in partnership with the Nepal Health Economics Association (NHEA) and the University of Washington.
The consultation is part of a research project titled “Monitoring Mental Health Policy Implementation in Nepal: Indicators, Stakeholder Preferences and Governance”.
Dr Pomawati Thapa, senior consultant physician and chief of EDCD’s NCD and Mental Health Section, said Nepal had considerable mental health data but faced challenges in making it useful for policymakers.
Dr Krishna Aryal of NHEA and the University of Bergen, who leads the project, said the study also examines sectors beyond health, including education, social security, and law and criminal justice.
The screening process has narrowed an initial list of more than 200 indicators to 27, with 10 shortlisted for detailed review, scoring and rating by stakeholders. The indicators will be further refined based on the feedback received.
Dr Guna Nidhi Sharma, chief of the Ministry of Health and Food Safety’s Policy, Planning and Research Division, said monitoring indicators should demonstrate whether policies and programmes were producing results for people and should be feasible and usable.
Fifty-five officials and experts participated in the consultation, representing the health, home affairs and education ministries, Nepal Police, National Human Rights Commission, Nepal Health Research Council, professional associations, universities, hospitals and civil society organisations.
The study is being implemented in Nepal, Colombia and Uganda, with each country adapting the research to its own context.
Dr Aryal said the highest-priority indicators identified through the consultation and subsequent feedback would be incorporated into the project’s landscape analysis of Nepal’s mental health policies, strategies and national guiding documents.