Promotion and Expansion of Neonatal Resuscitation Training

In Nepal, a neonatal resuscitation protocol known as Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) has been introduced, and basic neonatal resuscitation practices have become relatively widespread. However, opportunities for training and education remain limited, and only a small number of healthcare professionals are able to perform neonatal resuscitation appropriately in practice.

Furthermore, HBB is a simplified resuscitation protocol that focuses on the minimum necessary interventions that can be carried out in resource-limited settings. As a result, there is a lack of training in the advanced skills required to manage more complex and severe cases, which remains a significant challenge.

In rural areas of Nepal, primary healthcare facilities face chronic shortages of medical equipment and skilled healthcare professionals, making it difficult to ensure safe childbirth. As a result, pregnant women identified as high-risk during prenatal checkups are often required to travel to urban hospitals, a journey that can take more than half a day and places significant physical and financial burdens on them. Even in urban areas, there is a shortage of NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) beds, and securing adequate medical infrastructure and trained personnel remains an urgent challenge.

In Nepal, low health literacy remains a major challenge. Many people rely on traditional remedies and faith healers, and there is a lack of basic medical knowledge. In addition, the low quality of healthcare facilities affects the standard of maternal and child healthcare, leading to persistently high risks during childbirth. As a result, mistrust in medical institutions has grown among communities, creating a vicious cycle in which healthcare utilization rates continue to decline.