Kathmandu, July 11: Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel emphasized the need for a comprehensive policy to address Nepal’s demographic challenges, noting that while the country’s population growth is on decline and the potential of the youth remains fully unharnessed.
Minister Paudel said so at a programme organized by the Ministry of Health and Population today on the occasion of the World Population Day-2025 and the National Population Policy -2082 BS launch event.
According to him, the newly launched National Population Policy was not only about managing population size but it also takes into account people’s aspirations, their needs and social needs.
“The policy incorporates various aspects. The demographic trend is heading towards negative direction, which is why the policy aims to create a balanced population structure while protecting reproductive rights,” the Health and Population Minister said.
He expressed his confidence that all the three tiers of the government will launch effective programmes through the implementation of the new policy. Underscoring the State’s active role in addressing both the opportunities and challenges related to the composition, distribution and structure of the country’s population.
The Minister urged for collective efforts to maximize the potentials of country’s potential and fulfill the dreams of the younger generation.
Similarly, Dhundi Prasad Niraula, Joint-Secretary at the Division of Population Management under the Ministry, said the policy outlines who will receive which services, when they be provided and how to harness the potentials of population for building a prosperous nation.
He further said, “The unique aspect of this policy is to fully leverage the demographic dividend by empowering youths and addressing the unbalanced internal and external migration in the country.”
Joint-Secretary Niraula added that the policy also seeks to manage unregulated settlements and maintain a balance by linking the depopulation issues in the villages and hills with development and opportunities.
