Where and how people live plays a significant role in their overall health outcomes. Sitashma Mainali at HERD International presents on urban health and equity in Nepal at the 11th National Summit of Health and Population Scientists, in April 2025.

By analysing health and equity issues in Nepal using various secondary data sources, stark comparisons in poverty between rural and urban areas were highlighted, with 58.9% of the population in urban regions classified as poor, compared to 37% of those living in rural regions.  While the richest wealth quintiles were found to have the highest prevalence of diabetes, and heart conditions, it is the poorer quintiles in urban areas with a comparatively higher risk of NCDs, and the burden of NCDs and CDs higher among females in all regions.

These findings underscore the necessity of context specific policies and strategic resource allocation to address the distinct health and socio-economic challenges of different regions.