Spousal Separation and Interpretation of Contraceptive Use and Unmet Need in Rural Nepal

Abstract

Nepal has made considerable progress in improving the health of its population over the last two decades and is one of the few countries on track to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, which seek to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. The total fertility rate has decreased by an average of two children per woman, from 5.1 in 1991 to 3.1 in 2006. During that period, the maternal mortality ratio also declined by 48%, from 539 to 281 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate dropped by 39%, from 79 to 48 deaths per 1,000 live births.