Advocacy for Equal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health for Youth with Disabilities in Nepal

Kathmandu. There is a pressing need to ensure equal, safe, and dignified access to sexual and reproductive health for youth with disabilities. Stakeholders at an event held in Lalitpur emphasized the necessity of policy reforms, capacity building for service providers, and structural improvements to guarantee their rights.

Sarmila Dahal Poudel, a representative from the Family Welfare Division under the Ministry of Health and Population, stated that budget increases, capacity development, and coordination among stakeholders are essential for providing disability-friendly services.

She mentioned that work is underway to progressively make health-related structures disability-friendly.

She said, "The understanding that it must be disability-friendly should be held by everyone working in that sector. Any individual should receive disability-friendly treatment immediately upon entering the gate. Many have also offered to support the government in this work regarding the financial challenge aspect. For those who are severely disabled, providing services at home makes no difference. Services must also be provided by bringing them to the hospital as per their needs."

During the session, participants suggested improving access to sexual and reproductive health services for youth with disabilities by training service providers to offer inclusive services, developing disability-friendly infrastructure, providing accessible materials such as sign language and Braille, and enhancing awareness at the community level.

Bala Rai, a representative from the Nursing and Social Security Division, informed that sexual and reproductive health services are being expanded through the school health program and targeted programs for parents are being developed, emphasizing that such initiatives must be advanced in coordination with the government.

She stressed the need for improvements in school-level education to disseminate public awareness regarding access to sexual and reproductive health services for persons with disabilities.