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PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Children and Health
Volume 13 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1438992
Unlocking Potential: Innovative "Private -Non-profit" Partnership for Empowering Children with Disabilities in Resource-Limited Settings in Nepal
Provisionally accepted- 1 Other, Banepa, Nepal
- 2 Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children, Banepa, Nepal
- 3 Baidya and Banskota Hospital, Patan, Nepal
Background Physical disabilities affect approximately 240 million children worldwide, with limited access to care in resource-constrained settings. In Nepal, 2% of children under 16 experience physical disabilities, facing barriers to healthcare, education, and social integration. Traditional healthcare models often fail to deliver affordable, accessible, and sustainable care in these contexts. Objectives This study evaluates the effectiveness and sustainability of an innovative private-nonprofit partnership between the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) and B&B Hospital in Nepal, aimed at providing comprehensive care for children with physical disabilities. Methods Over 40 years, this unique model has integrated four components: identification through mobile camps and community outreach, comprehensive medical treatment, rehabilitation services, and social reintegration programs. Results The partnership reduced treatment costs by 62% compared to private healthcare. HRDC has performed over 55,000 surgeries, benefiting 116,000+ children. More than 100,000 assistive devices were distributed, 1.5 million+ people reached through disability awareness initiatives, and over 700 primary rehabilitation therapists trained. The community-based approach has achieved nationwide coverage of all 77 districts via mobile clinics. Conclusions The HRDC-B&B partnership illustrates how private-nonprofit collaboration can effectively overcome barriers to healthcare for children with physical disabilities in resource-limited settings. By integrating cost efficiency, quality care, and community engagement, the model offers a replicable framework for other developing countries. Key success factors include diverse funding, strong community engagement, and centralized service delivery. Keywords Physical disabilities, pediatric healthcare, resource-limited settings, private-nonprofit partnership, community-based rehabilitation, Nepal
Keywords: Physical disabilities, Pediatric healthcare, resource-limited settings, private-nonprofit partnership, Community-based rehabilitation, Nepal
Received: 27 May 2024; Accepted: 31 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hrdc, Banskota and Baidha. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Dr. Bibek Banskota Hrdc, Other, Banepa, Nepal
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