Browsing by Author "Phuyal, Parash Prasad"
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Publication An Estimate of Abortion Incidence and Unintended Pregnancies(Nepal Health Research Council, 2024) Ghimire, Agadishwor; Lal, Bibek Kumar; Karki, Sujan; Mehata, Suresh; Dotel, Bhogendra Raj; Joshi, Nisha; Pradhan, Gauri Shrestha; Gautam, Manish; Dangol, Deeb Shrestha; Phuyal, Parash Prasad; Lamichhane, Kritee; Bhattarai, Navaraj; Lynam, AnnaBackground: After the legalization of abortion in Nepal, there has been remarkable changes in policies and service delivery. However, even after two decades of legalization, access to and use of safe abortion services remains limited. The objective of this study is to estimate the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancies in Nepal. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in 767 health facilities using structured questionnaires to assess the availability of abortion services, and 231 key informant interviews were conducted. Information on medical abortion drugs was collected from distributors and pharmacies. Abortion estimations were segmented into categories: those performed within healthcare facilities, those conducted outside healthcare facilities, and those using other traditional methods. To estimate pregnancy outcomes, we utilized secondary data from national censuses and health surveys. Results: The total incidence of induced abortion cases in Nepal was estimated to be 333,343 for the year 2021. Only 48 percent of abortion services were provided from the listed (legal) sites and providers. The estimates showed that total facility based induced abortion in Nepal was 176,216 in 2021, more than half were medical abortions. The highest and lowest abortion cases were in Bagmati and Karnali province respectively. The result showed that more than half of the pregnancies were unintended (53.3%). Conclusions: Despite a relatively liberal legal environment, more than half of all abortions are extra-legal in Nepal. Unintended pregnancies are also common, resulting in induced abortion. This demands for increasing access to information and services on contraception and safe abortion among women and girls. Keywords: Abortion incidence; legal abortion; unintended pregnancy.Publication Barriers to Abortion among Women and Girls in Selected Districts of Nepal(Nepal Health Research Council, 2024) Phuyal, Parash Prasad; Bhattarai, Tejaswee; Pant, Prakash Dev; Devkota, Bishnu; Devkota, Jivan; Dhakal, Madhav Prasad; Karki, Sujan; Ghimire, Jagadishwo; Moore, BrittanyBackground: Even after two decades of legalization of abortion in Nepal, most women and girls still do not have knowledge on abortion legality and face abortion barriers. This study will explore perceived barriers to safe abortion and the factors associated with it. Methods: A Mixed method study design was conducted in 30 wards of 20 Municipals of seven districts of Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces. Quantitative data was analyzed for 673 women of reproductive age of 15-49 years. For qualitative data, key informant interviews were conducted. The analysis was done on five different barriers and a composite variable was created from them. Results: Most women and girls perceived social (34.6%), followed by family (30.6%), physical (30.6%), personal (29.5%), and health facility (14.9%) barriers to access safe abortion services. The key finding was that women and girls with knowledge on abortion legality were more likely to perceive barriers to abortion (AOR:2.31, CI:1.574-3.394). Women and girls with higher educational and economic status as well as Dalit women were less likely to perceive barriers to abortion services whereas never married women and girls perceived more barriers in accessing abortion services. Conclusions: Women and girls perceived several barriers to access safe abortion services. Women who have better knowledge on abortion legality recognize more barriers regarding abortion. This highlights the importance of raising awareness of women and girls on abortion rights to empower them in recognizing and advocating for the removal of the obstacles that stop them from getting abortion services. Keywords: Barriers to abortion; caste/ethnicity; legal knowledge; women and girls.Publication Service Readiness for Safe Abortion Services(Nepal Health Research Council, 2024) Dangol, Deeb Shrestha; Gyawali, Nisha; Lal, Bibek Kumar; Joshi, Nisha Kumari; Karki, Sujan; Lamichhane, Kritee; Phuyal, Parash Prasad; Joshi, Shipra; Ghimire, Jagadishwor; Powell, BillBackground: Health service readiness is a prerequisite to accessing quality services. This study analyzes the readiness of health facilities in Nepal to provide comprehensive abortion services by focusing on the availability and quality of care.? Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, and a multi-stage sampling approach was used to select health facilities. A total of 767 health facilities were surveyed from 30 Municipalities across the country. Results: In a study of 767 health facilities surveyed, only 223 (29%) offered abortion services. Among them, 92% offered medical abortion, 48% provided manual vacuum aspiration, 18% offered dilation and evacuation and 18% offered medical induction. Approximately 7% of health facilities lacked trained providers yet still provided services and 29% of health facilities providing abortion services were not compliant with legal requirements. Interestingly, 13% of these facilities lacked short-acting contraceptives. Conclusions: Most health facilities in Nepal lack readiness for Safe Abortion Services (SAS), failing to meet minimum criteria, including to provide abortion legally. Urgent collaborative efforts among policymakers, administrators, and healthcare providers are needed to align with Nepal's Sustainable Development Goals and address gaps in safe abortion service availability. This includes policy updates, strengthening Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and ensuring comprehensive SAS implementation and financing as part of essential health services. Keywords: Health facility; listed facility; post abortion care; safe abortion; service readiness.