Kathmandu, March 30 -- Health facilities across Nepal are out of stock of Depo-Provera, a birth control shot for women, as the government failed to purchase them on time.

The shortage of popular contraceptive injection could persist for months, as the procurement process has just started, officials say.

"We have restarted the process of procuring the medication," said Dr Pawan Jung Rayamajhi, director of the Management Division of the Department of Health Services. "Efforts to purchase the shots on time were unsuccessful due to price issues."

Officials admit that the lack of the widely used contraceptive could lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies that ultimately result in unsafe abortions and jeopardise the lives of thousands of...