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Scaling up telemedicine in Nepal

Origin language: English
Cover image
Target population
Women , +3
BeneficiariesN/A
EvidenceBoth
Start date2025/01
End dateOngoing
StageRoutine project/operational
Country
Nepal
Coverage
Regional
Nb of implementation sites
250
Lead organization
Implementation partners

Health Focus Area
Maternal and child health
Primary Health Care
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Skin diseases
Services
Telehealth
Enabling technologies
Software
Standards
N/A
Tools
N/A
Funding sources
Donors
Business model
No business model
Funders
Summary
Nepal, a landlocked country in the Himalayas, exhibits significant geographical diversity, from the fertile Terai plains to the lofty mountain ranges. This varied terrain poses considerable challenges for development and health service accessibility, particularly for remote and isolated communities. To address these issues, the proposed project aims to implement large-scale telemedicine across 100 health facilities in Koshi province from 2025. This initiative seeks to provide cost-effective healthcare solutions, improving access and outcomes for underserved populations, especially vulnerable groups like women and the elderly. Key health focus areas include Sexual and Reproductive Health, Primary Health Care, Skin Diseases, and Maternal and Child Health, targeting the general population, rural communities, women, and individuals aged 65 and older. Current status of the project: 107 sites equipped to use telemedicine, 1509 teleconsultations conducted (~60% women), 231 FCHVs trained for advocacy, 10 sites co-financed with municipalities. The project is still ongoing and more detailed information related to the implementation process and the impact of telemedicine will be shared in the coming months.
Keywords
Remote teleconsultation
Tele expertise
Publications
Insights - Lessons learnt
Challenges
- Telemedicine use varies across sites due to differences in local organization, staff availability, and levels of ownership. - Internet connectivity is unreliable in many rural and mountainous areas, disrupting the regular delivery of teleconsultation services. - Health workers experience high workloads and limited incentives, leading to reduced motivation to integrate teleconsultation into daily practice. - Frequent turnover of healthcare staff interrupts service continuity and requires repeated training efforts.
Recommendations
- Provide targeted supportive supervision to facilities facing difficulties, adapting support to their level of experience to stabilize teleconsultation use. - Strengthen collaboration with local internet providers and explore alternative connectivity options, such as mobile networks or relay points, to improve service continuity. - Engage municipalities and local leaders to support work organization at facility level and recognize staff engagement through non-financial incentives such as certificates, training opportunities, and institutional visibility. - Apply a train-the-trainer approach with at least one trained focal person per site, combined with short practical training and follow-up supervision, to limit the impact of staff turnover.
Recommendations
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Any additional questions?
iDHA (Project ID)
0r6p01
Project links
https://koshi.dghub.org
Origin of information
Project stakeholder
Data source link
N/A
Added to the platform on
2025-01-22
Project editors
Last update by
Mirana Michelle on 2026-02-09
Number of views
271
WHO classifications
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