Januka Biwakarma of Taplejung is preparing for her second baby. The first time she was pregnant, she had not even entered a hospital because she was too shy. But this time she has already had seven check-ups at the local hospital. There is a sense of awareness among women about maternity health care in the villages. "My daughter-in-law gave birth to her child at home, but now the women are conscious of their health and run to the hospital," says Pabitra Majhi of Pachthar.
This change has come about because of the government's program to decrease maternal mortality. The country was even awarded for its exemplary work with a MDG award in September. Nepal is now near achieving the target of decreasing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by three quarters (134/100,000) by 2015. In 1991, this number was at 517 in Nepal, had increased to 539 in 1996 but was brought down to 281 in 2006.