Support for improving access to health care in remote villages in Nepal

Since 2025, Chugai has been supporting the following activities implemented by the AMDA Social Development Organization（Amda Mines）^*1 to improve access to medical care in hilly and remote villages in Nepal.

• Background
  The Chure district (population 25,000) in Kailali County, far western Nepal, is located in a hilly area and is one of the most inaccessible districts in Kailali County with particularly poor access to health services. In this situation, a specialized medical team visited the hamlet to improve the health of the "left behind".

• Activity details
  In December 2025, we held health camps for women and children in three remote villages. In implementing the camp, a medical team was dispatched to the village with the cooperation of Nepal Gandhi Medical University Hospital, which is the main hospital in western Nepal. A complete set of clinical examination equipment such as ultrasound examination equipment, cervical cancer detailed examination kits, and microscopes was installed at the camp site to provide appropriate treatment for gynecological diseases including cervical cancer and breast cancer, and medical services that are normally only available in urban hospitals were provided free of charge in the village.

• Results
  (1) Contribution to access to healthcare
  Through this health camp, it was found that many female patients have problems in the womb, and it was also revealed that abortion pills illegally obtained and taken at personal discretion are affecting the background. In addition, there were some patients suspected of having breast cancer or cervical cancer, highlighting the need for a system that can reliably lead to treatment through early detection. By holding such health camps in remote villages, we were able to provide an opportunity to show and enlighten local residents who have little contact with medical services on a daily basis. This has also led to a reduction in mental bias towards medical care and a behavioral change in the desire to use necessary medical services.
  
  Key Achievements
  ・Free ultrasound, cervical cancer test, laboratory test, etc.
  ・669 patients (including 393 gynecologists), 327 ultrasound examinations, and 255 cervical cancer examinations
  ・Referred 77 patients who needed detailed examination and treatment to general hospitals
  
  (2) Patient education
  In the areas where health camps have been held, Amda Mines provides maternal and child health training for "community women's health volunteers" (hereinafter referred to as "volunteers"). They are appointed by the health administration and work at the village level to promote awareness-raising activities for women in the community. On the day of the health camp, volunteers and Amda Mines staff were stationed at the venue to assist with reception and counseling operations, providing health and medical information according to the level of understanding and concern of each patient. In particular, there was a wide range of knowledge and experience of cancer screening, and many women had concerns, so we tried to provide careful enlightenment according to each individual situation rather than a one-size-fits-all explanation.
  
  (3) Medical staff education
  Amda Mines has provided training on ultrasound examinations for prenatal screenings to midwives working at nine public health facilities in the health camp area. With the aim of establishing and developing this learning in the field, we introduced "on-site coaching" into the camp, and set up a place for midwives who took the training to participate in actual medical treatment as specialist assistants to the medical team. This has led to improvements in ultrasound examination technology, as well as improvements in the quality of health care services in public health facilities and the continuity of human resource development.

The scene on site（Photo: Provided by AMDA Social Development Organization）

*1 AMDA-MINDS（AMDA Multisectoral and Integrated Development Services）
https://www.amda-minds.org/english/