Bangladesh coming out of child death rate burden

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DHAKA, June 15, 2021 (BSS)- The child mortality rate poses a significant health burden in the country, but Bangladesh now has managed to achieve a tangible progress in reducing the child death rate.

By staying committed to effective programmes that reduce the child mortality rate, the government launched several initiatives with some success. But now it a different scenario altogether as the rate has been reduced 63 percent in the last 20 years in the country.

The death rate has been reduced in almost all countries around the globe and Bangladesh is one of the countries among the South Asian nations where the death rate of child has been reduced significantly.

UNICEF has already recognized the success of Bangladesh in reducing the death rate of children between the age of zero and five years.

According to a report, the success that is regarded as a vast achievement of the health care services has taken place in the rural areas across the country. Even, Bangladesh has exceeded the key indicator of the death rate of children compared to India and Pakistan. The Bangladesh government is working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reducing the death rate of child by 2030.

As per the report of Save the Children titled ‘Annual Global Childhood Report 2019’, the death rate of the children has been reduced in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal among the South Asian countries. Among the four countries, the death rate has been reduced 63 percent in Bangladesh while the rate is 60 percent in Bhutan, 59 percent in Nepal and 57 percent in India.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek said the government has increased all facilities and is providing health care services to reduce the death rate of mother and children. For this, both death rate of mother and children have been reduced significantly in the country, he added.

He said the number of death of mother is now 172 among one lakh which was 176 in 2017. Besides, the death rate of children is now 18.4 percent in each thousand while the number was 20 in 2015.

The health minister said the number of the child death, as per the SDG goals, would have to be reduced to 12 in every thousand by 2030. “The achievement will be possible within two years if all responsible persons in the health sector will perform their duties properly. For this, 24-hour delivery facilities will be kept in all public hospitals across the country,” he added.

A report of Directorate General of Family Planning showed that the death rate of the children has been reduced 73 percent in the last 24 years.

As per the SDGs, the number of child death aged between zero and one month would have to be reduced to 12 in every thousand which is now 28. But the number of the death of child aged between zero and five years old is 38 in every thousand.

On the other hand, the health ministry has fixed the target to reduce the number of death of children to 20 in every thousand by 2035 who will be born alive.

Dr Mohammad Sharif said the death risk of children between zero and one month is more. But the children aged between zero and five years are at risk also. Shortness of breath, underweight, septicemia, pneumonia and encephalitis are the main reasons of the death of children between zero and five years. Besides, malnutrition is also another reason of death, he added.

He said the government has increased all out management to protect the such death.