Suchergebnisse

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges and threats to the health care system, particularly affecting the effective delivery of essential health services in resource-poor countries such as Nepal. This study aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 and their experiences towards health services utilization during the pandemic in Province-2 of Nepal. METHODS: The semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among purposively selected participants (n = 41) from a mix of rural and urban settings in all districts (n = 8) of the Province 2 of Nepal. Virtual interviews were conducted between July and August 2020 in local languages. The data were analyzed using thematic network analysis in NVivo 12 Pro. RESULTS: The findings of this research are categorized into four global themes: i) Community and stakeholders' perceptions towards COVID-19; ii) Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on health services delivery; iii) Community perceptions and experiences of health services during COVID-19; and iv) COVID-19: testing, isolation, and quarantine services. Most participants shared their experience of being worried and anxious about COVID-19 and reported a lack of awareness, misinformation, and stigma as major factors contributing to the spread of COVID-19. Maternity services, immunization, and supply of essential medicine were found to be the most affected areas of health care delivery during the lockdown. Participants reported that the interruptions in health services were mostly due to the closure of health services at local health care facilities, limited affordability, and involvement of private health sectors during the pandemic, fears of COVID-19 transmission among health care workers and within health centers, and disruption of transportation services. In addition, the participants expressed frustrations on poor testing, isolation, and quarantine services related to COVID-19, and poor accountability from the government at all levels towards health services ...

Background: The global aging population is growing rapidly, and Nepal is no exception. This increase is driven by changes in socioeconomic conditions, health behaviours, and advancements in the health system. In Nepal, almost a quarter of the national population are older adults (≥45 years), whose health status is rarely elaborated. This study was carried out to assess the socioeconomic, behavioural, and health-related characteristics of older adults in Nepal. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 4,179 randomly selected older adults residing in Bagmati Province from July 2022 to June 2023, via a multi-stage sampling technique. A semi-structured questionnaire including Geriatric Depression Scale, Activity of Daily Living, and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living along with sociodemographic and health profiles were used for the data collection through face-to-face interviews. The data were described in frequency and percentage across the local levels (urban/rural) and gender. Chi-square tests were done for bivariate analyses. Results: The mean age of the population was 61.66±11.1 years. The prevalence of multimorbidity, disability, and depression was found to be 27.6%, 23.3%, and 35.1% respectively. There was no significant difference between multimorbidity and depression across local levels, while there was a significant difference across disability status. There was a significant difference between multimorbidity and depression across genders. Conclusions: This study provides comprehensive insights into the socioeconomic status, behavioural factors, and health status of older adults in Nepal. Study findings can inform interventions and policies at local levels to consider the unique needs of the older population in Nepal.Keywords: Chronic diseases; depression; disability; Nepal; older adults.