The Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene has issued the Annual Review Workshop Operational Guidelines, 2083 for health programmes implemented at local, district and provincial levels. The review is intended to assess progress, achievements, challenges, resource use and service delivery during FY 2082/83, while feeding lessons and priorities into planning and budgeting for FY 2083/84. The guideline proposes completion of local-level reviews by Bhadra 15, district reviews by the end of Bhadra, and provincial reviews by the end of Asoj 2083.
Before each review, authorities must ensure that all 12 months of programme data have been completely entered and verified in relevant systems such as HMIS, PAMS, EWARS, SORMAS and MPDSR. Health facilities must also update their details in the Nepal Health Facility Registry (NHFR) and health-worker information in the Nepal Health Workforce Management Information System (NHWMIS). Reviews must examine programme budgets and physical and financial progress, staffing vacancies, infrastructure and equipment gaps, medicine stock-outs, reporting performance and implementation of federal, provincial and local health policies.
The guideline provides an extensive set of comparative indicators covering 98 free essential medicines, immunisation, newborn and child health, nutrition, family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, institutional delivery, safe abortion, maternal deaths, HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, dengue, measles, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, emergency services and Ayurveda services. It also calls for assessment of Minimum Service Standards, including the number of facilities scoring above 85%, as well as health insurance, birth and death reporting, population-management activities and access to services for women, poor, marginalized and disadvantaged communities. District and provincial reviews are expected to compare performance across local governments and facilities and identify reasons for both high and low achievement.
Each level must conclude its review with a specific action plan identifying health problems, corrective activities, responsible agencies and deadlines. Local and district reports must be shared with higher levels and published on the relevant websites, while provinces must submit their electronic review report to the federal ministry and prepare an Annual Health Report covering achievements, challenges and future priorities. The guideline also encourages recognition of high-performing health facilities, health workers, local governments and districts, making the annual review process a tool for evidence-based planning, accountability and improvement of health-service quality.
