Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Rokeya Sultana has said that her government has been working relentlessly to ensure the health and well-being of all mothers and children in the country by achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The government is committed to fulfilling the objectives in line with the landmark International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA), she said.

In her statement placed at the 57th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development, convened in New York from 29 April to 3 May, the state minister provided information on the initiatives taken by the Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the areas of maternal and neonatal health, family planning and adolescents health and wellbeing, among others.

“The government has established 5500 health and family welfare centers at the Union level to reach every mother and child of our country.

To provide 24/7 services to pregnant women, we are planning to deploy 4 midwives in each of those centers. The government is currently in the process of increasing the total number of midwives to 20,000 by the next two years.” she added.

The state minister also referred to the National Adolescent Health Strategy for 2017-2030 which is being implemented through a National Plan of Action. We have taken legal and policy measures to end child marriage and violence against women and girls.

She also announced an initiative of the government to distribute free sanitary napkins to 5 million girls from 6th grade to 12th grade, according to a press release of the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York.

State Minister Rokeya Sultana also highlighted the achievements of Bangladesh in reducing maternal mortality and birth rate, improving health governance and infrastructure including by developing digital health information system, and enhancing the quality and quality of health professionals, among others.

In her statement, she called upon the international community to address capacity gaps in developing countries through enhanced international cooperation and partnerships.

Rokeya Sultana also participated in UNFPA’s signature side event focusing on maternal mortality where she shared Bangladesh’s success story in reducing maternal mortality by ensuring adequate and trained midwives in every corner of the country. She also participated in another side event organized by South Africa, UNFPA and PPD on South-South cooperation for implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action.

In addition, the state minister held a bilateral meeting with the UK Vice Minister for Development Cooperation, Regional Representative of UNFPA for Asia Pacific and also attended a roundtable organized by the Vice Minister of the Netherlands on ICPD -30 global dialogues.

The theme of this year’s CPD session is assessing the status of implementation of the ICPD PoA and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

To mark the 30th anniversary of ICPD PoA Bangladesh is hosting a Global Dialogue on demographic diversity and sustainable development in Dhaka from 15- 16 May 2024.