Build trained midwives to cut child, maternal mortality: Health Minister
Dhaka, Mar 7 (UNB) - Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque on Wednesday stressed building trained midwives to minimise child and maternal mortality rates in the country.
“Apart from taking timely initiative to shift the pregnant women to hospital, we’ve to build trained midwives to cut child and maternal mortality rates,” he said at a project launching ceremony at Sasakawa auditorium of ICDDR,B in the city.
The government of Bangladesh, the government of Japan and Unicef Bangladesh jointly launched the project to improve the quality for newborn healthcare in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister’s advisor Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali, State Minister for Health Capt (retd) Mozibur Rahman Fakir, Health Secretary Dr Humayan Kabir, Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima, Unicef Representative Pascal Villeneuve and JICA senior representative Shigeki Furuta also spoke at the function. Director General of Health Services Prof Dr Khondhaker M Shefayet Ullah presided.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Ruhal Haque said although Bangladesh is on the right track in achieving MDG-4 and 5, more effective programmes have to be taken to reduce child mortality rate.
“We’ve to take projects targeting ultra poor and marginal people. We’ve the ability to take up the challenge of reducing child mortality,” he said.
Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali said soon after taking office, the present government is working sincerely to reach healthcare to the doorsteps of people and it will be able to ensure healthcare for all within the government’s remaining tenure.
Ambassador Shiro Sadoshima said Japan put much importance on Bangladesh as a pilot country for its global health policy (2011-2015), which aims to deliver results effectively and efficiently by addressing bottlenecks that impedes progress on the health MDGs.
He said this partnership will further bolster ongoing efforts by the government of Bangladesh through the new Health Sector Programme (2012-16).
Unicef Representative Pascal Villeneuve said Bangladesh has made considerable progress in improving child survival over the last few decades.
“There is also a downward trend in maternal mortality, so the country is well on track to achieve MDG-5. Despite this encouraging scenario, neonatal mortality still remains a challenge and most of these deaths occur within the critical first week of life,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will implement the US$ 1.15 million (around Tk 9.2 crore) project titled ‘Quality Improvement Initiative for Newborn Health Care’ for the next two years.
The project will be implemented in six hospitals -- Chittagong Medical College Hospital, and Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban district hospitals.
Unicef is already supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in implementing three large initiatives in maternal, neonatal and child health, mostly in the low-performing districts and covering the most deprived populations in those areas.
Adding to this support, the project will further contribute to improve quality and safety of newborn healthcare in order to increase newborn survival.
Major interventions are to upgrade facilities with special care newborn unit (SCANU); capacity development in clinical care delivery for sick newborns and quality improvement skills; strengthening monitoring and supervision as well as effective referral links between facilities.
“Apart from taking timely initiative to shift the pregnant women to hospital, we’ve to build trained midwives to cut child and maternal mortality rates,” he said at a project launching ceremony at Sasakawa auditorium of ICDDR,B in the city.
The government of Bangladesh, the government of Japan and Unicef Bangladesh jointly launched the project to improve the quality for newborn healthcare in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister’s advisor Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali, State Minister for Health Capt (retd) Mozibur Rahman Fakir, Health Secretary Dr Humayan Kabir, Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima, Unicef Representative Pascal Villeneuve and JICA senior representative Shigeki Furuta also spoke at the function. Director General of Health Services Prof Dr Khondhaker M Shefayet Ullah presided.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Ruhal Haque said although Bangladesh is on the right track in achieving MDG-4 and 5, more effective programmes have to be taken to reduce child mortality rate.
“We’ve to take projects targeting ultra poor and marginal people. We’ve the ability to take up the challenge of reducing child mortality,” he said.
Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali said soon after taking office, the present government is working sincerely to reach healthcare to the doorsteps of people and it will be able to ensure healthcare for all within the government’s remaining tenure.
Ambassador Shiro Sadoshima said Japan put much importance on Bangladesh as a pilot country for its global health policy (2011-2015), which aims to deliver results effectively and efficiently by addressing bottlenecks that impedes progress on the health MDGs.
He said this partnership will further bolster ongoing efforts by the government of Bangladesh through the new Health Sector Programme (2012-16).
Unicef Representative Pascal Villeneuve said Bangladesh has made considerable progress in improving child survival over the last few decades.
“There is also a downward trend in maternal mortality, so the country is well on track to achieve MDG-5. Despite this encouraging scenario, neonatal mortality still remains a challenge and most of these deaths occur within the critical first week of life,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will implement the US$ 1.15 million (around Tk 9.2 crore) project titled ‘Quality Improvement Initiative for Newborn Health Care’ for the next two years.
The project will be implemented in six hospitals -- Chittagong Medical College Hospital, and Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban district hospitals.
Unicef is already supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in implementing three large initiatives in maternal, neonatal and child health, mostly in the low-performing districts and covering the most deprived populations in those areas.
Adding to this support, the project will further contribute to improve quality and safety of newborn healthcare in order to increase newborn survival.
Major interventions are to upgrade facilities with special care newborn unit (SCANU); capacity development in clinical care delivery for sick newborns and quality improvement skills; strengthening monitoring and supervision as well as effective referral links between facilities.
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