Journal of Health and Social Welfare

An Evaluation of the Contribution of Political Parties to Enhancing Women’s Inclusive Representation in the Political Landscape of Nepal

2026-08-30T09:48:51+00:00

In Nepal, women's political participation has a long history and is bolstered by progressive constitutional and legal commitments, such as required gender quotas that demand a minimum of 33% representation from women. The study uses a qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews with 25 women leaders from six major political parties at the federal level. It also examines relevant literature, official election data, election laws, party statutes, and constitutional issues. The findings demonstrate that while political parties have legally implemented women-focused initiatives, gender quotas, and inclusive laws, these measures often result in descriptive rather than substantive representation. It has increased the numbers, but still, under the patriarchal attitude in decision-making and dominance, that's why, still, in a secondary role as Deputy Speaker in the parliament, even after the fresh election, the leaders are not fully accepted into the major role. However, informal norms, patronage networks, male-dominated leadership structures, and intersectional barriers related to caste, race, and class limit women's influence in crucial decision-making domains.

From Insurance Crisis to Health Financing Reform: Rethinking Nepal’s Path to Universal Health Coverage

2026-10-14T09:48:30+00:00

Publishing Process

Received Revised version I: 2^nd April, 2026

Finalized to publish: 5^th July 25, 2026

Open Access 4.0

Published date: 10 .July 2026 Vol:5 Issue 4 -A1

Abstract[1]

Nepal’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) aims to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC), but it faces a severe fiscal and operational crisis. Low premiums relative to service costs, fragmented risk pools, overlapping schemes, and political influence, such as hospitals owned by politicians to boost public support, threaten sustainability. Voluntary enrollment in a predominantly informal economy, coupled with rising misuse of insurance due to low awareness of responsible utilization, further strains resources. Strategic reforms are needed: hybrid financing combining contributions and tax-based funding, strategic purchasing tied to outcomes, federal-provincial coordination, primary health care as the anchor, and continuous health literacy campaigns. Fiscal innovations such as VAT-backed funding and preventive programs, including national supplementation schemes, can improve efficiency and equity. This paper argues that only by addressing structural, financial, operational, and behavioral challenges together can Nepal achieve a resilient, equitable, and sustainable health system for its emerging generation.

Keywords:
Nepal, Health Insurance, UHC, Public Health, Financing

Are you meditating or daydreaming

2026-10-14T09:30:30+00:00

While meditation has its roots in spirituality, it is also a technique to enhance health, wellness, and performance. It is probably also one of the techniques that can answer several of the questions raised by quantum physics, such as quantum entanglement, quantum field theory, wave-particle duality, the block universe, quantum consciousness, superposition, and so on. Most literature on meditation, however, focuses on its worldly benefits, such as health, wealth, and wellness. Spiritual benefits of meditation, such as out-of-body experiences and self-realization, are central to Patanjali’s approach to meditation. Science answers quantum questions through laboratory experiments, and meditation answers them through self-observation, achieved by elevating one's own consciousness to a level that illuminates physical phenomena, which cannot be seen by the naked eye or its extensions. This article makes a passing reference to science-spirituality entanglement but delves deeply into how meditation is misunderstood and misused, what true meditation is, and how to practice it correctly so that both worldly and spiritual benefits can be achieved without wasting too much time.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Among Grade 9–10 Students in a Government School, Ward 10, Kathmandu. Nepal

2026-10-14T09:59:45+00:00

Background: Mental health is one of the most important aspects of human life. Mental disorders like sadness, worry, and tension are the leading causes of disability and low quality of life in young people. In Nepal, adolescents in 9^th and 10^th Grades face heavier school demands, which can eventually lead to mental health issues. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, and their associated factors among the students of classes 9 and 10 of the government school of Ward No 10, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 students of Grades 9 and 10 using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire, including standard tools: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—Youth Version (DASS-Y) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The survey participants showcased a significant degree of emotional suffering. The occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 40%, 48.8%, and 29.7%, respectively. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) symptoms were seen mainly in female students and Class 9 students. Low self-esteem was strongly related to stress, while academic pressure and dissatisfaction with grades were major contributing factors for DAS.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the research indicates that the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were highly prevalent among the students of grades 9 and 10. The significant predictors of emotional distress were low self-esteem, educational pressure, female gender, and transitional academic challenges.

An Assessment of Human Resource Management and Its Impact on Quality of Patient Care

2026-10-14T09:37:58+00:00

Quality care of patients is a global concern since human life in stake. Human resources are involved in the care of patients, and most patients are taken to the hospital. The hospital consists of infrastructure, doctors, nurses, and other supporting and technical staff; with this, human resources and hospital infrastructure are also a part of it. The main objective is to assess the impact of human resource in quality of patient care and the components required for producing quality outcomes of the care. To study the qualitative aspects of published secondary sources, a search string was used to collect the proper articles from the web-based search engine, mainly Google Scholar, with the filtration of the articles that met the objective, resulting in eight articles published between 2014 and 2026. The study found that the correlation R² between HRM and quality of patient care, as well as the infrastructure and supportive culture of the organization, plays a vital role in quality of patient care.