Kathmandu, Sept. 2 -- The causes of maternal and perinatal deaths will be investigated in nine more districts from this fiscal year, thanks to the United Nations Population Fund, which has agreed to fund the extension of the programme.

Officials hope that the investigation of the actual cause of maternal and perinatal deaths will help reduce the ongoing deaths of mothers and babies.

"Health workers will investigate if a particular death could have been prevented, or if human error was responsible for the deaths," said Nisha Joshi, a public health officer at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services. "We requested the UNFPA for help, which it agreed to. Measures will be taken to prevent the deaths."

Maternal an...