Health Ministry slashes two-thirds budget for treatment of non-communicable diseases

Only Rs40 million has been allocated for medicines of non-communicable diseases this year, compared to Rs135 million last year

Two out of three deaths in Nepal are blamed on non-communicable diseases, but the Ministry of Health and Population has cut the budget by around two thirds this year meant for medicines used to treat non-communicable diseases free of cost compared to the funds allocated last fiscal year.