Made to fit
How an innovative new initiative using 3D printing technology to produce prosthetic devices is helping children and young people with disabilities gain confidence and independence
Surkhet, Nepal: Niruta Neupane was just 22 days old when a fire changed the course of her life. Her parents had stepped out to harvest corn near their home in Jajarkot District, leaving her in the kitchen. The fire that had been used for cooking earlier wasn’t fully extinguished. When it caught again, Niruta was too young to call out for help.
“It burned my hand,” the now 18-year-old recalls quietly. “If I’d been taken to the hospital, maybe my hand could have been treated. But that didn’t happen.”
By the time her parents managed to get her to a hospital in Nepalgunj, the damage was irreversible. Niruta lost her fingers.
“I see other people and wish I had both my hands like them,” she says. “So I hide my hand out of sight.”
Now a student in Surkhet, Niruta is among the first to benefit from an innovative project that uses 3D printing technology to produce prosthetic devices for children and adolescents living with limb loss—especially those from disaster-affected areas.
The project—supported by UNICEF and with contributions from the Government of Norway—in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, CDCA, UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, Enabling Friday’s Consortium, AT2030 and Ugani Prosthetics, is working to make assistive technology more accessible and personalised.
Rather than relying on imported, one-size-fits-all devices, the use of open-source tools and mobile scanning enables the creation of custom prostheses, reducing both cost and production time.
Niruta’s experience with the new process began at the Provincial Hospital in Surkhet.
“The people there, they took photos of my hands. After that, they took measurements too.”
Her first fitting wasn’t perfect, but she was called back soon after. “They checked and found it wasn’t fitting quite right,” she explains. “Then I went back there again another day, and the new hand finally fit properly.”
For Niruta, the new prosthetic didn’t just restore function—it changed how she saw herself.
UNICEF Nepal/2024/MMalla
“When I’m out, I used to hide my hand before. Now I feel confident to show it openly.”
She remembers the reaction from her classmates the first day she wore the new hand to school. “My friends were impressed, and said, ‘Wow, it looks so good.’ They said it looks much better than before. They said I should wear it all the time now.”
In addition to direct provision of devices, the initiative is focused on training Nepali prosthetics and orthotics professionals, scaling the solution nationwide, and conducting follow-ups to ensure long-term support.
For Niruta, the journey is personal. “Now, I want to go back to my home village in Jajarkot and show my new hand to my mother and father.”
