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The analysis of the IMR and U5MR for Nepal shows that there are important
disparities by gender, caste/ethnicity, and geographic locations. Data from
2006 show a little difference in the national IMR and U5MR between girls
and boy (MOHP et al. 2007); however, the Nepal Family Health Programme
survey mentioned above shows that in rural areas gender disparity is still quite
significant, with infant mortality 1.18 times higher for females than for males
and under-five mortality 1.19 times higher . There are also important disparities
in mortality rates across caste/ethnic groups. For example, Dalits have a U5MR
of 90 deaths per 1,000 live births compared with an all-Nepal level of 68 (MOHP
et al. 2007 cited in UNDP 2009) (Figure 2). The lowest corresponding figure
was for Newars at 43 and the highest figure was for Hill Dalits at 95.
Mortality in urban areas is consistently lower than in rural areas, with IMR being
36.6 percent lower and U5MR being 35.9 percent lower, and infant mortality
being higher in the Mid-Western and Far Western Development Regions than
other regions. Similarly, U5MR ranges from 128 per 1,000 live births in the
Mountains to 62 per 1,000 live births in the Hills (Table 2), and under-five
mortality is higher in the Mid-Western and Far Western Development Regions
than in other regions.
Table 2: IMR and U5MR by socio-economic characteristics
Likewise, immunization against measles for children aged 12-23 months reached
85 percent in 2006 (MOHP et al. 2007) and recorded a slight improvement in
2009 to 85.6 percent (NFHP 2010).
To control morbidity and mortality among children, the government has initiated
several child-survival programmes including the Community-Based Integrated
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