INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE

Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA)
Ekantakuna, Jawalakhel, P.O. Box: 9626, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: 977-1-5530344, Fax: 977-1-5530341 E-mail: crehpa@crehpa.wlink.com.np

Introduction

Crown Princess visiting CREHPA stall on Population Day

Established in July 1994, CREHPA is a private, not-for-profit research organization registered under Society’s Act 2034. Also registered with the Social Welfare Council, Nepal.

CREHPA offers services in three collateral areas: Consultancy Research, Policy Research and Training and Action Research.

Objective

To undertake policy relevant research and use the research results for influencing program and policy decisions through dissemination, advocacy and empowerment

Mission

Contribute towards improving health particularly sexual and reproductive health of the population through research and training and create enabling environment for the Nepalese society to enjoy healthy sexual and reproductive life with dignity through advocacy and action programs.

Area of Research Expertise

1. Policy Research

Undertakes policy relevant exploratory research, opinion polls and operations research on issues concerning sexual & reproductive health and rights. The findings of the research is used for dissemination and advocacy to influence policy decisions in the country

Themes for Policy Research:
- Fertility Behavior
- Reproductive Health including Adolescent
- Reproductive Health
- Sexuality and Sexual Behavior
- Abortion
- Trafficking

2. Consultancy

Consultancy assignments are undertaken as per the demand or felt needs of the clients. Generally, the themes of preferences include family planning, sexual and reproductive health, public health, environment, and community development.

Types of research requested by Clients :
- Baseline Surveys
- Situation Assessment/Feasibility Studies
- Impact Evaluation
- Market Research
- Adolescent Health and Development in Nepal -Status, Issues, Programmes    and Challenges - A Country Profile 2004

CREHPA has expertise in the application of ethnographic research tools in SRH related behavioral research.

3. Training & Action Research

The training and action research unit provides capacity building training to its research team and also NGOs working in health and community development sectors.

Action programs are undertaken to experiment the efficacy of selected SRH related models in a community setting.

Types of Training :

• Focused Ethnographic Study (FES) and use of FES software packages such as ANTHROPAC, ATLAS-TI, KRAKPLOT, etc.
• PRA, RRA, Narrative methods
• Size Estimation
• Social Mapping and Eco Mapping

Action Programs

Public Education and Advocacy against Unsafe Abortions : sumarga program (through networks of 47 NGOs)

Ethnographic Research on High Risk Population

Injecting Drug Users

Since 2001, CREHPA has been conducting a series of focussed ethnographic research including mapping and size estimation of “hard to reach” population such as female sex workers, injecting drug users, clients of female sex workers and Men having sex with Men (MSM). These research studies were sponsored by the Family Health International (FHI).

Network of Injecting Drug Users

Research on Trafficking

Cross-border trafficking of women and girls into forced prostitution and other slavery-like situations are one of the world’s fastest growing crimes and most significant human rights violations. From Nepal, thousands of young women and girls have been trafficked across the border and sold to brothels in India.

Ethnographic study on ‘Destination Side’ of the Trafficking of Nepalese Girls to India is being conducted by CREHPA under the funding support of Tdh in two cities of India - Mumbai and Kolkata.

The study is aimed at documenting the situation of the Nepali women and girls in Indian brothels environments and to investigate the attitudes, wishes of Nepali women and girls in the Indian brothels. Furthermore the study also investigates the attitudes of the clients of Nepali sex workers and the brothel keepers.

Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescent

In Nepal, adolescent population is approximately 5.4 million (23.6%) (2001 Census). According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the adolescent population is estimated to reach 6 million by the year 2011 and to almost 7 million in 2021.

Addressing the needs of adolescents is a challenge that goes beyond the role and responsibilities of health sector alone. The legal framework, government policies, socio-cultural norms and practices and opportunities for education and, employment and recreation are some of the factors that are key to adolescent health and development.

The WHO in collaboration with Ministry of Health intends to prepare a health sector strategy on adolescent health and development for Nepal. In regard to this, the country profile on Adolescent Health and Development and a concept paper on health sector strategy for AHD is being prepared by CREHPA

Research and Advocacy for Reproductive Health and Rights

• Public Education and Advocacy Program against Unsafe Abortion

Since 1999, CREHPA has networked with 47 district based NGOs of Nepal for implementing its Public Education and Advocacy Program (PEAP) which was aimed at preventing unsafe abortion practices,creating an enabling environment for the legalisation of abortion and saving women's lives.

• “sumarga” - Power of Informed Reproductive Decisions

Since 2003, CREHPA has initiated a new program called "sumarga" (Right Path) in partnership with its districts based NGOs to create enabling environment for women to make informed reproductive decisions and options.

sumarga Program

Public Education and Advocacy to Enable Informed Fertility Decisions by Women in Nepal

sumarga Program Coverage

47 District based NGOs in 43 Districts Identified and Empowered under sumarga program

• Operation Research Project implemented in Kaski District
• Private Paramedics and Chemists (PPC) networking with CAC Centers in 6 Districts in collaboration with 6 local district partner NGOs
• Intensive program in 10 districts in collaboration with 10 district based NGOs

Research & Advocacy to Influence Policy

Contributed significantly in influencing Policy towards Legalisation of Abortion

Major Achievement

• Public Education & Advocacy against Unsafe Abortions: sumarga program implemented in 43 districts
• 47 District based NGOs Identified and Empowered under sumarga program
• Production of Sachetana, an Educational Tele-film on Abortion
• Inclusion of PEAP Related Strategies in Government's Long Term Plan for Safe Motherhood
• DHO/MOH Demand Orientation Training for TBAs against Unsafe Abortion
• Acceptance and Ownership of the IEC Materials (posters) on Abortion by MOH
• Member of the Abortion Task Force (ATF) Formed by FHD/MOH to Plan and Implement the Steps to Move from Legalisation to Action

Funding Organisations of CREHPA in last 5 years (2000-2004)

• Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Nepal
• Center for Development and Population Activities/Nepal (CEDPA)
• Department for International Development (DFID)
• Family Health International (FHI) /Nepal
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)
• Ipas
• The Population Council
• Terre des hommes (Tdh)
• The Ford Foundation
• Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America-International (PPFA-I)
• World Health Organization (WHO)

Network & Alliances

Universities :
•Department of Social Statistics, Southampton University, Southampton, UK
•Center for Population Studies, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University of London, UK
•The Key Center for Women's Health in Society, Department of Public health, School of Public Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
•Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Bangkok

HMG/National Bodies :
•Ministry of Health (MOH)
•Ministry of Population & Environment (MOPE)
•National Health Research Council (NHRC)

Research Institutions :
• Center for Operations Research and Training (CORT), Baroda, India- and CORT Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)
• SEARCH Nepal
• Forum for Women Law and Development (FWLD), Nepal

International :
• World Health Organization (WHO)

NGOs :
• 47 district based partner NGOs covering 43 districts of the country