Kathmandu, Dec. 6 -- When Sita Pandit started working as a community health volunteer a little over three decades ago, her duty was to make door-to-door visits in her neighbourhood, which today is part of Suryabinayak Municipality in Bhaktapur, distributing contraceptives-hormonal pills and condoms.

Gradually, government officials assigned her more duties, involving her in maternal health programmes, which were followed by child health programmes, communicable diseases, vector-borne diseases and other health-related campaigns.

Pandit, now 54, is one of the 51,423 female community health volunteers who work as a bridge between the health facilities and the local people across the country. They are the backbone of the country's health sys...