IN 2021, OHW WILL BE ACTIVE IN 21 DISTRICTS. 

We will have nine districts in full implementation phase, nine in transition phase and we will be adding three new districts.

We are expanding our programs to the Southern Plains of the Terai and to the Northern Karnali zone. These are two very different areas with each a unique set of challenges but where the need for improvements in maternal and newborn health services is high.

We will continue to seek an increase in the Palika (local municipality) cost-share component of our model and incorporate current MNH best practices into the Network of Safety model keeping in mind the new post-COVID landscape in Nepal. Several of our previous initiatives, including our ehealth program and our external evaluation were delayed by the spread of the pandemic, but these programs have now been restarted with additional safety modifications. We also will be assessing the impact of the pandemic on MNH service utilization as well as the impact of our new telehealth program and our new MNH helpline, using the results to drive policy change in Nepal. 

Concurrently with our existing program roll-out, we plan on continuing to develop new initiatives to increase access to high-quality MNH care for pregnant women and their newborns in rural Nepal. We are looking at innovative options to improve the delivery and the safety of our existing programs and are looking at options to digitize portions of some of our existing programs.