Project details

Who are we

The Solukhumbu Women’s Health Project (SWHP) prioritises women’s health, especially reproductive and sexual health, in the communities of Waku, Chheskam and Taksindo. The four year project is being implemented by the Australian Himalayan Foundation’s (AHF) local partner Action for Nepal (AF Nepal). The project will create an enabling environment for improved women’s health outcomes in order to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women living in the remote communities of Solukhumbu.

Website: https://www.australianhimalayanfoundation.org.au/

Issue: Health

Project Background

The AHF works in partnership with the people of the Himalaya to help the most disadvantaged meet their priority needs through integrated improvements in education, health and the environment.

More specifically, this project will ensure that overall the health services are better equipped by ensuring that:

• they have all the necessary supplies, are properly staffed and managed, particularly in relation to sexual health and reproduction;
• health staff and volunteers have greater capacity, skills and are able to be attend the health posts regularly; and
• women, especially those living with disability or in really remote villages can access vital health services.

The project’s success will be measured by increases in the numbers of institutional deliveries and deliveries conducted by a skilled birth attendant. In addition, meeting the minimum attendance rates for expecting mothers' antenatal care visits, attending at least three postnatal care check-ups for new mothers; and higher contraception prevalence will be indicators of further project success.

Project Objectives

• Training for key stakeholders including district health representatives and the Health Facility Operations Management Committee
• Procuring and distributing vital medical equipment and supplies
• Conducting training for the health workers and Female Community Health Volunteers
• Conducting training on disability inclusion
• Funding related to project monitoring and evaluation and human resource management for capacity strengthening
• Funding for COVID 19 Safety precautions and equipment including masks, hand sanitisers/handwashing and promotion of social distancing.

Partners & Community Involvement

The project is delivered by the AHF’s local partner AF Nepal in conjunction with the Local Government, the local Health Posts, the Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) and the local Health Facility Operation Management Committee (HFOMC) members for health facility management.

In the past, the services provided through the nurses in the health posts contributed to effective health service delivery and filled the staffing gap of those remote communities. The competence of FCHVs was improved after being trained by the nurses and they were able to organise mothers’ group meetings easily.

Local mothers’ groups run by FCHV’s have an effective platform to provide knowledge to mothers where mothers not only learn about, but practice healthy behaviours.

The project will directly benefit:

·       over 2,600 females in the target reproductive age group in Waku, Chheskham and Taksindo;

·       18 Health post staff,

·       27 FCHVs and 21 HFOMC members.

·       Across the three communities, 10,788 community members including 85 with disabilities, will indirectly benefit from the activities through the SWHP project.