The International Health Partnership's (IHP) goal is to accelerate progress on the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through improvements to health systems as well as more effective use of aid. The Government of Nepal (GoN) joined the IHP while the GoN's Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) were designing how to scale up the free health care policy: a policy designed to improve access by the poor to services. The IHP launch event provided the Minister of Health and Population with valuable global evidence to inform policy-making and expansion of delivery. The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided technical support to the policy both preceding the launch of the IHP and subsequently. DFID provided an additional £3 million for fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09 in recognition of the IHP and supporting the free health care policy.
For 2008-09 DFID is providing £20.5 million to the health sector. This funds three programmes: the overall health programme (called the Nepal Health Sector Programme), Support to the Safe Motherhood programme and the HIV/AIDS programme. Most of the fund is provided as budget support to be managed by, and through, the government's system.