Social policy, social work and age care in Nepal: mapping services and missing links

Abstract

The emergence of an ageing population is a relatively new phenomenon in Nepal and has only just become an area of interest for researchers, health and social care practitioners and policy-makers. Life expectancy in Nepal has risen by more than 20 years in the past three decades and is currently 68 years of age. Until recently, Nepal was one of the few nations where men, on average, outlived women. As Nepal moves through the health transition this is no longer the case with recent statistics suggesting that an average life expectancy for females is now 69 years, two years greater than males. The ageing process in Nepal provides both challenges and opportunities for professionals, organisations and researchers. This paper provides an overview of the main issues related to an ageing population in Nepal and draws on research conducted under a British Academy Small Grant (BASG) project which ran from April 2011 until April 2012 in collaboration with the Nepal School of Social Work (NSSW), Kathmandu. Central issues emerging from the research suggest the need for more effective policies, better quality of care provision and perhaps more critically the role of advocacy in age-related concerns. Social work will have a key role to play in both advocating for the rights of the older population and ensuring that their needs are met.

सारांश

नेपालमा जेष्ठ नागरिकको संख्या बृद्धी सापेक्षिक रुपमा नयाँ अवयव हो र हालै मात्र यो क्षेत्र सोधकर्ता, स्वास्थ्य तथा सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता र नीति निर्माताको चासोको विषय वनेको छ । नेपालीहरुको जीवन प्रत्यासा विगत तीन दशकमा २० वर्ष भन्दा बढीले बृद्धि भई हाल ६८ वर्ष पुगेको छ (विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन २०१३) । केही अघी सम्म महिला भन्दा पुरुषको जीवन प्रत्यासा बढी भएको विश्वको थोरै मुलुकहरु मध्ये नेपाल एक थियो । तर नेपालको स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्रको परिवर्तन तथा हालैका तथ्याङ्कहरुले महिलाहरुको औषत जीवन प्रत्यासा पुरुषको भन्दा बढी ६९ वर्ष देखाएको छ । जेक्ष्ठ नागरिकको यो बढोत्तरीले पेशाकर्मी, संघसंस्था तथा सोधकर्ताहरुलाई अवसर तथा चुनौति दुवै प्रदान गरेको छ । यो कार्यक्रले नेपालका जेष्ठ नागरिकहरुसंग सम्बन्धित प्रमुख विषय बस्तुहरु माथि विहङगम दृष्टि दिन्छ । व्रिटिस एकेडेमी स्मल ग्रान्ट परियोजना अन्तरगत अप्रिल २०११ देखि अप्रिल २०१२ सम्म नेपाल सामाजिक कार्य महविद्यालय, काठमाडौ संग सहकार्यमा गरिएको सोधकार्यबाट सुझाव स्वरुप प्राप्त भएका प्रमुख विषयवस्तुहरु अझ प्रभावकारी नीतिको आवश्यकता, गुणस्तरयुक्त स्याहारको व्यवस्था तथा प्रमुख रुपमा बृद्धवृद्धासंग सम्बन्धित चासोहरुबारे पैरवी हुन । सामाजिक कार्यको प्रमुख भुमिका जेष्ठ नागरिकहरुको अधिकारका लागि पैरवी गर्नु तथा उनीहरुका आवश्यकता पुरा भएको सुनिश्चित गर्नु दुवै हुनेछ ।

Keywords:

• Nepal
• social work
• ageing

मुख्य शब्दहरु:

• नेपाल
• सामाजिक कार्य
• वृद्धावस्था
• जीवन प्रत्यासा।

Notes

1. In February 1996, the leaders of the Maoist United People's Front began a violent insurgency with an aim to reform and restructure and society and governance. The decade-long (1996–2006) armed conflict affected the majority of Nepalese lives. Poverty and exclusion, particularly among marginalised castes and ethnic groups in rural areas, were key factors driving the decade-long insurgency

2. The Dalits are also referred to by the collective term ‘traditional occupational caste’ or the so-called ‘untouchable’ class or by their individual family name.

3. Whilst the term ‘older people’ is used within this paper many documents in Nepal refer to the ‘elderly’ or senior citizens. When the term elderly is used in Nepal, it is often associated with the phrase ‘respected elders’ and reaching certain ages in different ethnic groups is seen as something to be revered though, especially for men, given the diversity in Nepal it is hard to generalise and further ethnographic study is needed in this area to explore how this is changing as the Nepalese economy diversifies and ‘modernises’.

4. Kadambari College affiliated to Purbanchal University and Xavier's College affiliated to Kathmandu University. For a more detailed account of the opportunities and challenges of social work education in Nepal see Nikku (2010).

5. This is equivalent to 3.8 Euros/US$5/month and compares to an average per capita income of US$568 hence less than 10% average monthly income !! http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Nepal's+per+capita+income+looks+to+%24568+&NewsID=248882