Bangladesh is facing significant challenges in new-born care as over 1,00,000 children died before their fifth birthday in 2023, according to a report released by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.
The report titled 鈥楲evels and Trends in Child Mortality鈥� also highlighted that nearly two-thirds of these casualties occurred within the first 28 days of life, said a press release issued on Thursday.
It suggested enhanced maternal and new-born care to save an additional 28,000 new-borns each year to meet the sustainable development goal-related target.
鈥極ver 1,00,000 new-borns 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,鈥� said Farook Adrian Doomun, UNICEF representative OiC in Bangladesh.
鈥榃e can save millions of babies and mothers if we invest more in strengthening the health system, focusing in priority on primary health care, and increase the number of trained health professionals,鈥� said Farook.
鈥楿NICEF, 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,鈥� Farook added.
The report pointed out that a higher number of home deliveries (30 per cent), limited access to small and sick new-born care, and the absence of midwives closer to their homes for normal vaginal delivery were among the key challenges contributing to high new-born mortality.
鈥榃HO, 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,鈥� said Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO representative in Bangladesh.
