Nepal’s Palpa District Aims for “Zero Home Child Birth” Region

Rojina Rai/Sunil Karki

In coordination with local governments, hilly district of Nepal Palpa has launched the “Zero Home Child Birth” campaign to ensure all childbirths take place in health institutions.

The campaign aims to become a fully institutional delivery district, with seven of its ten local levels already declared compliant and the remaining three working to meet the required standards.

Home childbirths in Nepal continue to pose serious risks, largely due to the absence of skilled birth attendants and limited access to emergency medical care.

Health professionals strongly urge expectant mothers to deliver in health facilities, where timely medical support can ensure the safety of both mother and newborn.

This remains critical, as a majority of maternal deaths in Nepal still occur at home.

Against this backdrop, Palpa district in Nepal’s hilly region has launched a ‘Zero Home Childbirth’ campaign, aiming to ensure that all deliveries take place under the supervision of trained medical professionals in health facilities.

The initiative seeks to completely eliminate home childbirths and achieve full compliance with institutional delivery standards.

Encouragingly, seven out of Palpa’s ten local levels have already achieved 100 percent institutional childbirth status, while the remaining three are actively preparing to meet the required benchmarks.

According to the District Health Office, the campaign has intensified efforts to discourage home births and promote safe deliveries through health facilities.

The program is being implemented in close coordination with health institutions, medical workers, Female Community Health Volunteers, and other key stakeholders across the district.
These local efforts align with national progress in maternal health.

A 2025 United Nations report shows that Nepal’s maternal mortality ratio has declined by nearly 70 percent since 2000, with the current figure standing at 142 deaths per one hundred thousand live births a significant achievement for the country.

Building on this momentum, Palpa is now in the final stage of being declared the first fully institutional childbirth district in Lumbini Province within the current fiscal year.

Alongside the campaign, authorities are also working to reduce early marriage and teenage pregnancy key factors that, if addressed effectively, could accelerate Nepal’s journey toward zero maternal mortality.