July 22, 2002
 Joint Japan-US Project Formulation Mission to His Majesty's Government of Nepal
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A joint US and Japan Mission is visiting Nepal from July 18 to 27 2002. The purpose of the joint Mission is to exchange views on strengthening collaboration and partnership in the health sector with representatives from the Nepalese Government, international organizations, NGOs. The joint delegation will gather information and visit several activities in the field during their stay, particularly looking at child health issues and tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS issues. The joint team is drawing upon the close working relations of the U.S. and Japan missions at the field level as well as at the global level. This is the third joint US and Japan Mission to be conducted in the region. Joint Missions have been conducted previously in Cambodia and Bangladesh.
The US and Japan Governments jointly recognize and commend the efforts of His Majesty's Government for the improvements in health status during the past decade as evidenced by the recently released Nepal Demo../graph/ic Health Survey 2001. In the past decade, fertility has declined by 20% and child mortality has declined by more than 40%. Both the US and Japan Government recognize that Nepal's success towards improving the health status of the country is in part due to the HMG commitment and leadership in the health sector and a well coordinated partnership with health sector donors and implementing partners.
Several challenges remain towards continuing improvement in health status in Nepal. With a woman dying every two hours due to a pregnancy-related cause, Nepal has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. While fewer children are dying today compared to a decade ago, child mortality and infant mortality rates remain high for the region. Although HIV prevalence rates in Nepal are low compared with other countries, Nepal currently has a concentrated epidemic among high-risk groups. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that approximately 60,000 people in the country are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Further, people with AIDS are at great risk of developing tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections.
The US and Japan Governments recognize the importance of partnership with the HMG, health sector donors and implementing partners. The outcome of the Joint US and Japan Mission will be a strengthened partnership and a commitment to further support the HMG together to address these challenges in the health sector to improve the health status of every Nepalese citizen in Nepal.
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