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ABSTRACT: Background
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of deaths and disability in Nepal. Health systems can improve CVD health outcomes even in resource-limited settings by directing efforts to meet critical system gaps. This study aimed to identify Nepal's health systems gaps to prevent and manage CVDs.Methods
We formed a task force composed of the government and non-government representatives and assessed health system performance across six building blocks: governance, service delivery, human resources, medical products, information system, and financing in terms of equity, access, coverage, efficiency, quality, safety and sustainability. We reviewed 125 national health policies, plans, strategies, guidelines, reports and websites and conducted 52 key informant interviews. We grouped notes from desk review and transcripts' codes into equity, access, coverage, efficiency, quality, safety and sustainability of the health system.Results
National health insurance covers less than 10% of the population; and more than 50% of the health spending is out of pocket. The efficiency of CVDs prevention and management programs in Nepal is affected by the shortage of human resources, weak monitoring and supervision, and inadequate engagement of stakeholders. There are policies and strategies in place to ensure quality of care, however their implementation and supervision is weak. The total budget on health has been increasing over the past five years. However, the funding on CVDs is negligible.Conclusion
Governments at the federal, provincial and local levels should prioritize CVDs care and partner with non-government organizations to improve preventive and curative CVDs services.
SUBMITTER: Shrestha A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8258928 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Shrestha Archana A Maharjan Rashmi R Karmacharya Biraj Man BM Bajracharya Swornim S Jha Niharika N Shrestha Soniya S Aryal Anu A Baral Phanindra Prasad PP Bhatt Rajendra Dev RD Bhattarai Sanju S Bista Durga D Citrin David D Dhimal Meghnath M Fitzpatrick Annette L AL Jha Anjani Kumar AK Karmacharya Robin Man RM Mali Sushmita S Neupane Tamanna T Oli Natalia N Pandit Rajan R Parajuli Surya Bahadur SB Pradhan Pranil Man Singh PMS Prajapati Dipanker D Pyakurel Manita M Pyakurel Prajjwal P Rai Binuka Kulung BK Sapkota Bhim Prasad BP Sapkota Sujata S Shrestha Abha A Shrestha Anmol Purna AP Shrestha Rajeev R Sharma Guna Nidhi GN Sharma Sumitra S Spiegelman Donna D Suwal Punya Shori PS Thapa Bobby B Vaidya Abhinav A Xu Dong D Yan Lijing L LL Koju Rajendra R
BMC health services research 20210705 1
<h4>Background</h4>Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of deaths and disability in Nepal. Health systems can improve CVD health outcomes even in resource-limited settings by directing efforts to meet critical system gaps. This study aimed to identify Nepal's health systems gaps to prevent and manage CVDs.<h4>Methods</h4>We formed a task force composed of the government and non-government representatives and assessed health system performance across six building blocks: governanc ...[more]