Bangladesh sees over 1 lakh child deaths, 63,000 stillbirths annually

Over 1 lakh children in Bangladesh died before their fifth birthday in 2023, with nearly two-thirds of these casualties occurring within the first 28 days of life, according to new reports released by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).

Bangladesh records over 63,000 stillbirths annually, equating to 1 in every 41 births resulting in a stillbirth – the highest in South Asia, said another report.

In a joint press statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef said today (3 April) that Bangladesh faces significant challenges in maternal and newborn care. While progress has been made since 1990, the country continues to record the highest rate of stillbirths in South Asia, demanding immediate and scaled-up interventions.

To meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related target, Bangladesh must save an additional 28,000 newborns each year, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced maternal and newborn care, states the statement.

"Over 1,00,000 newborns in Bangladesh die yearly from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survive and thrive," said Farook Adrian Doomun, Unicef representative OiC in Bangladesh.

He further said, "We can save millions of babies and mothers if we invest more in strengthening the health system, focusing on priority on primary health care, and increase the number of trained health professionals, especially midwives at all levels, providing them the right tools so that every newborn is in a safe pair of hands.

"Unicef, in collaboration with WHO, is committed to working with the Interim Government of Bangladesh and partners to achieve quality health care to prevent maternal and child mortality."

The statement mentions that key challenges contributing to high newborn mortality and stillbirth rates in Bangladesh include a higher number of home deliveries (30%), limited access to small and sick newborn care, and the absence of midwives closer to their homes for normal vaginal delivery. 

In addition, other risks for mothers and newborns include inadequate 24/7 quality services at the upazila level, inadequate postnatal care at the primary healthcare level and unregulated private sector, leading to preventable deaths from birth asphyxia, prematurity, and infections, it reads.

The statement further states that additionally, poor antenatal and labour care, along with inadequate prevention and management of other disease conditions during pregnancy, perpetuate Bangladesh's high stillbirth rate, preventing the country from meeting its SDG targets. Funding and resource limitations aggravate these issues, hindering progress towards reducing child mortality, it added.

Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO's representative in Bangladesh, said, "With only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need accelerated actions for improving maternal and child health. WHO, in collaboration with Unicef, calls for immediate and collective action to end preventable child deaths and stillbirths. 

"Through strong government commitment, sustained investment in primary healthcare-oriented systems, and guided by global evidence and best practices, we can prevent these tragic losses and build a healthier future for every child." 

Unicef and WHO urged the interim government to increase facility births with skilled birth attendants, including at the union level, through midwives, expand newborn care units, boost trained nurses and midwives, and improve antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. 

Additionally, increasing funding for trained staff and medical supplies is crucial to reinforce maternal and child health care, the organisations said.