Kathmandu: 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 made these remarks 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 National News Agency Nepal, the newly launched National Population Policy is not solely focused on managing population size but also takes into account people’s aspirations, their needs, and social needs. Minister Paudel highlighted that the policy incorporates various aspects, aiming to create a balanced population structure while protecting reproductive rights amid a demographic trend heading towards a negative direction. He expressed confidence that all 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 opportunities and challenges related to the composition, distribution, and structure of the country’s population.
The Minister urged for collective efforts to maximize the potential of the country’s population and fulfill the dreams of the younger generation. Similarly, Dhundi Prasad Niraula, Joint-Secretary at the Division of Population Management under the Ministry, elaborated that the policy outlines who will receive which services, when they will be provided, and how to harness the potential of the population for building a prosperous nation. He emphasized that a unique aspect of the 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 depopulation issues in the villages and hills with development and opportunities.