Diaspora engagement for health system resilience in Nepal: policy framework, engagement pathways, contributions and a way forward
The Nepali diaspora is rapidly expanding, increasingly diverse, and widely dispersed across regions. Migration patterns are evolving beyond short-term labour mobility to include higher education and state-facilitated overseas employment.
Close to one million Nepalis leave the country each year. Recent trends show a sustained rise in outmigration and this trajectory is expected to continue. A small but increasingly visible segment of the diaspora is health professionals, with the Nepali government’s recent approach to migration management, particularly facilitating overseas employment through bilateral agreements, signalling a likely continuation, and possible acceleration, of health workforce outmigration. However, the scale and diversity of this diaspora position is also a strategic resource for Nepal’s development.
This brief considers the current input of Nepal’s diaspora, political commitments for promoting engagement and contributions, and current barriers, before making policy recommendations.
Further information
There’s more on this study – The role of the diaspora in supporting health system resilience in fragile and shock-prone settings – here, including papers and other briefs.
Image: the Nepali flag by Chekat via iStock