Expectant mothers going to health centre can reduce newborn deaths: DG

Director General for Health Services Abul Kalam Azad has said pregnant women using healthcare facilities in the public health institutions can reduce the newborn death rates in Bangladesh.

The government will ensure the pregnant woman is in good health once she goes to the public healthcare centre, he said at a roundtable on Wednesday.

The bdnews24.com in partnership with Unicef organised the roundtable on ‘Let’s keep every child alive’ at the National Press Club where Health Minister Mohammed Nasim was present.  

Azad said, "It is possible to bring newborn death rates down to zero if the women take the health services in the area since trained health workers provide those."

On being asked, he said, “Bangladesh government is capable of providing every newborn baby with health services in the country. If a mother comes to the public healthcare centre, she must get health service, and we will make sure she does.”

Bangladesh is one of 10 countries in the world where death infant mortality rate is high.

The government has been making its best efforts to overcome some simple problems and once the problems are removed, the death rates will go down, said Azad.

According to him, 61 percent of the babies who die before 5 years of age are newborn. “Half of the newborn babies die within 24 hours after birth while many die within seven days.”

“If we take care of the newborn properly in those seven days, we can save many.”

bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi moderated the roundtable.

President of Bangladesh Paediatric Mohammad Shahidullah presented the keynote paper.

UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh Asa Torkelsson, Save the Children’s Deputy Country Director Ishtiaq Mannan, Unicef Bangladesh’s Deputy Representative Sheema Sengupta, Chief of the health section Maya Vandenet and Health Manager Md Ziaul Matin are the other speakers.