DESCRIPTION OF SURVEY POPULATION 109 population live in high altitude locations (i.e., more than 2,000 meters). TABLE 3-21. DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS BY ALTITUDE OF WARD OF RESIDENCE (NBS 1981) Percentage of Nepal's Total Sample N Estimated Population Altitude 1-185 meters 186-350 meters 351-1,000 meters 1,001-1,500 meters 1501+ meters Subtotal Missing altitude 8,154 9,448 6,642 8,540 6,845 39,629 258 2,958,876 3,242,702 2,339,113 3,090,116 2,456,833 14,087,640 85,442 21.0% 23.0 16.6 21.9 17.4 100.0 Total 39,887 14,173,082 100.0 The availability of various health services to panchayat popula- tions was described in Table 3-20. The distribution of the popula- tion by distance to the nearest hospital and pharmacy is presented in Tables 3-22 and 3-23. Nearly two-thirds (64.8%) of the population was reported to live in sites within a half-day (i.e., four hour) journey to a hospital. Another 11.2 percent were within a one-day (i.e., eight- hour) journey. One-quarter (24.6%) of the population would need to journey more than one day to reach the nearest hospital. Pharmacies, on the other hand, are much more accessible to the population. More than fourth-fifths (85.6%) of the population reside in a site within a half-day journey to a pharmacy. Another 3.8 percent are within a one-day journey, while 10.6 percent must travel more than one day to reach a pharmacy. The source and distance to both drinking water and water used for washing hands and faces is given for households (not persons) in Tables 3-24, 3-25, 3-26, and 3-27. Three-quarters (76.5%) of the households in Nepal reported that they obtained drinking water from a tap (i.e., plumbed water supply), a tube well, or an open well. Presumably these water supply sources are safer than the other sources mentioned, including rivers or streams (14.5%), ponds or lakes (0.9%), or tanks (0.1%). The distance traveled to obtain drinking water indicates that half (50.7%) of the households can obtain drinking water within the household or within a five-minute walk. Another two-fifths (42.6%) must walk from 5 to 30 minutes
