All the rickety family welfare centres to be renovated: DGFP

The government has taken initiative to renovate all the dilapidated family planning welfare centres in every district, Dr Md Mahmudur Rahman, director (maternal and child health) of Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), has said.
 
"Besides, reproductive health and family planning services for adolescents and youth will be given importance," he promised at an exchange meeting with youth and experts in Dhaka on Monday under the project to strengthen family planning services through advocacy.
 
Senior officers of the departments concerned participated at the event, organised in collaboration with SERAC-Bangladesh and Marie Stopes Bangladesh, said a press release.
 
SERAC-Bangladesh Assistant Director (Program) Md Salim Mia presented the issue of bringing dynamics to quality family planning services to 49 Union Parishads through local level advocacy by SERAC-Bangladesh in Mymensingh, Netrakona and Kishoreganj districts.  
 
They allocated Tk9,767,500 in the 2022-2023 fiscal year for the project.
 
DGFP Director (CCSDP) Dr Nurun Nahar Begum proposed to implement the innovative local level advocacy and scorecard initiative on family planning in all districts by giving an institutional form.
 
DGFP Program Manager (A&RH) Dr Manzoor Hussain said the scorecard is a means of determining the quality of service for service receivers and service providers. It can be implemented in other areas as a joint initiative of the DGFP and other allied agencies.
 
Executive director of SERAC-Bangladesh SM Saikat drew the attention of the relevant authorities and said, "If the budget allocated in the Union Parishads through the advocacy of SERAC-Bangladesh is institutionalised, the level of service provided by the centre will increase further.
 
Dr Shamim Md Akram, assistant director, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Unit, of DGFP said community scorecard is community voice card. This scorecard can be used as a benchmark for all activities in each sector to monitor the progress of the initiative.
 
Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) CSO Focal Point Dr Abu Jamil Faisal said initiatives should be made locally to solve local problems.

The participants included volunteer peer leaders and youth volunteers from different districts.