Enreca Health > Research Projects > Primary Health Care

Enhancement of Research Capacity in Nepal: A Primary Health Care Project

Period

1993-2006

Main Collaborating Institutions

• Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu:
  Department of Community Medicine and Family Health, Institute of Medicine
  Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine
  Central Department of Sociology & Anthropology
  Central Department of Psychology
  
  
• The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy:
  Department of Social Pharmacy 
  
  
• University of Copenhagen:
  Institute of Psychology 
  
  
• University of Aarhus:
  Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine
  
  
• DSI:
  Danish Institute for Health Services Research and Development 

Principal Project Coordinators

Professor Mathura P. Shresta 

Department of Community Medicine and Family Health,
Institute of Medicine,
Maharajganj, PO Box 2844,
Kathmandu,
Nepal

Tel: +977 1 414 792
Fax: +977 1 410 122 or +977 1 226 820
Email: nhrc @ npl.healthnet.org

Professor Ebba Holme Hansen 

Department of Social Pharmacy,
The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy,
Universitetsparken 2,
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø,
Denmark

Tel:+ 45 35 37 08 50
Fax:+ 45 35 37 26 21
Email: ehh @ mail.dfh.dk

Project Description

The primary health care system in Nepal is characterised by a series of problems in relation to both activities and organisation of the system: lack of access to qualified primary health care services, lack of qualified health staff, lack of biomedical technologies including medicines, unreliable health information and lack of coordination of activities and planning. The project aims to strengthen the multi-disciplinary research competence in the area of primary health care. The capacity building is based on research training up to PhD level. The results of the research are expected to be beneficial for the Nepalese health policy and the practice of the primary health care system. 

A lot of donors are involved in the health sector in Nepal. However, little emphasis has so far been put on research components, and researcher training in the field of PHC has not been established. The research training programme of the project has four components: A course on PHC research methods in Nepal, training of PhD students, establishment of a PhD programme on PHC in Nepal, and supplementary graduate research courses in Denmark. Following studies are being undertaken 

• the quality of data reported throughout the health information system (HIS), including immunisation coverage and maternal mortality,
  
  
• the quality of the drug system, from quantification of needs to dispensing and use, and
  
  
• the health care seeking behaviour of local people, including traditional and bio-medical perceptions and care

Besides, baseline information on the districtís health care system and morbidity has been collected. The data collection primarily takes place in the rural district of Jajarkot. During the phase II, further descriptive and analytical studies will be carried out, while phase III is planned to be change-orientated. The interventions will be based on findings from earlier phases. The overriding aim is to integrate changes and new PHC activities into other activities of the local communities, with a view to obtain a sustained effect.