Department of Public Health and Community Programs, Dhulikhel Hospital - Kathmandu University Hospital, Dhulikhel, Nepal.
Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Nutr Rev. 2023 Nov 10;81(12):1612-1625. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad025.
In the past few decades, the Nepali government has endorsed several nutritional policies, strategies, and guidelines. Given the lack of a comprehensive review of such policy documents, this review aims to describe the nutrition and food security policies and understand the existing policy gaps in Nepal. Findings from this study can be used to develop policies and programs to address Nepal's current and future nutritional needs. Policies relevant to nutrition and food security were identified by searching government websites and directly approaching relevant government ministries. Thematic analysis was conducted using framework methods under 8 predetermined themes: nutrition intervention, food security, food system, capacity building of human resources, nutrition education, nutrition governance, research, and monitoring and evaluation. The contents of each document reviewed were manually extracted in a spreadsheet stratified by the themes, and the findings were summarized for the respective themes. A total of 30 policy documents were reviewed. Most policies have focused on undernutrition; only a few have addressed overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Food security through a sustainable food system has been considered a key policy area in Nepal. Other areas in the food and nutrition policy landscape are capacity building for human resources, behavior change practices, nutrition governance, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy gaps have been identified in the quality and sustainability of nutrition programs; access to health care services; competent human resources for nutrition; intersectoral coordination and commitment; and support for monitoring, evaluation, and research activities. Most policies have tried to address a wide range of components of food and nutrition security; however, strategies focused on overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases are lacking. Several gaps are identified in this policy review; the findings can guide the policymakers to address these gaps via further policy development.
在过去几十年中，尼泊尔政府已经批准了几项营养政策、战略和准则。鉴于缺乏对这些政策文件的全面审查，本研究旨在描述尼泊尔的营养和食品安全政策，并了解现有政策差距。本研究的结果可用于制定政策和方案，以满足尼泊尔当前和未来的营养需求。通过搜索政府网站和直接联系相关政府部门，确定了与营养和食品安全相关的政策。采用框架方法，根据 8 个预定主题进行了主题分析：营养干预、食品安全、食物系统、人力资源能力建设、营养教育、营养治理、研究以及监测和评价。根据主题对审查的每份文件的内容进行了分层，并在电子表格中手动提取了文件内容，然后对各自主题的调查结果进行了总结。共审查了 30 项政策文件。大多数政策都侧重于营养不足问题，只有少数政策涉及营养过剩和与饮食有关的非传染性疾病。通过可持续食物系统实现食品安全被视为尼泊尔的一个主要政策领域。食物和营养政策领域的其他方面包括人力资源能力建设、行为改变实践、营养治理、监测和评价。已确定营养方案在质量和可持续性方面、获得医疗保健服务方面、营养方面的合格人力资源方面、部门间协调与承诺方面以及对监测、评价和研究活动的支持方面存在差距。大多数政策都试图解决食品安全和营养的广泛组成部分；然而，缺乏针对营养过剩和与饮食有关的非传染性疾病的战略。本政策审查确定了几个差距；这些结果可以为决策者制定进一步的政策发展提供指导，以解决这些差距。
