UK steps up partnership with govt to reduce preventable deaths in Bangladesh

The British High Commission Dhaka recently co-hosted a roundtable with the Government of Bangladesh and other development partners to discuss how to step up efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children in Bangladesh, said a press release. 

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam attended the roundtable as the chief guest alongside British High Commission Dhaka. Development Director Matt Cannell. 

Chris Carter, the head of Human Development Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK, set out how the UK plans to work closely with the government and partners to sustain and build on Bangladesh's progress on ending preventable deaths. This includes working on quality, affordable health services and also addressing underlying issues, such as poor nutrition.

"Bangladesh is rightly applauded for its family planning and immunization programmes, and the Government's commitment to driving down maternal and child deaths, such as Bangladesh Every Newborn Action Plan. We hope to do more to help build on these efforts. It has been incredible to see the beginning of another Bangladesh success story to develop a new icddr.b alternative formula for Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)," Chris Carter added. 

"The UK has a strong and vibrant partnership with the Government of Bangladesh in a range of areas, including diplomacy, trade and development. I am pleased to say we are increasing our work to help end preventable deaths of mothers and newborn children in eleven countries around the world, including here in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has made huge progress on development over the last twenty years.  I would like to particularly applaud the work of newly trained midwives in improving maternal and newborn health care," said Matt Cannell. 

The roundtable included an initial consultation about how to tackle the remaining issues that cause preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children in Bangladesh.