Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the United Nations and other international organisations to take a more effective role in ensuring essential health services to all Palestinians who are fighting against the Israeli aggression and occupation for survival.

"I hope that the United Nations and other international organisations will take a more effective role in ensuring essential health services for all, especially women and children, in there." she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day event titled "ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development" that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world's shifting demographics.

The programme is being held at Intercontinental hotel with Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA hosting it.

Hasina said that given the detrimental impact of climate change on public health and other health risks, it is essential to ensure international cooperation to protect the health and well-being of people, particularly mothers, children, and the elderly, from health risks.

"At the same time, I consider it crucial to pay attention to the distressed and marginalised populations due to conflicts and political reasons," she said.

She mentioned about the forcibly displaced Rohingya people from Myanmar who have taken shelter in Bangladesh and the Palestinians suffering from Israeli aggression and occupation.

"A large number of women and children in Palestine are currently deprived of necessary medical and health services. They are fighting for survival every day," she said.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem, Minister of Social and Family Development Of the Maldives Aishath Shiham, Kiribati's Minister for Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs Martin Moretti, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Yasushi And State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Rokeya Sultana also spoke at the programme.

Representative from the government of Bulgaria also joined the opening ceremony.