Experts at a meeting said the coverage of Skilled Birth Attendants(SBA) can be significantly increased by strengthening the union level facilities for ensuring safe delivery in rural areas of the country.
The SBA coverage should be promoted through strengthening union level health centres to prevent maternal deaths, they said this on Monday while speaking at a meeting at the Dr Shahid Milon Hall of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in the city.
The Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) with support from USAID’s MaMoni Health Systems Strengthening (MaMoni HSS) project organized the divisional advocacy meeting.
Mohammad Wahid Hossain, Director General, DGFP, Joby George, Chief of Party, MaMoni HSS, Save the Children, Dr. Umme Salma Jahan Meena, Health Systems Strengthening Team Leader, USAID, among others, addressed the meeting with Dr. Mohammed Sharif, Director (MCH Services) and Line Director (MCRAH), DGFP in the chair.
Dr. Fahmida Sultana, Deputy Director (MCH Services) unit, DGFP and Dr. Selina Amin, Senior Advisor, Health Systems, MaMoni HSS made separate presentation at the meeting.
Farzana Islam, deputy director, Save the Children, said, “We are campaigning to promote facility delivery to prevent child and maternal morality. Strengthening of union level health centre is one of the best ways to increase SBA coverage in Bangladesh”.
At her presentation, Dr Selina said a total of 1,243 union level facilities have been assessed in Dhaka Division. About 11 percent of the facilities were found to be of A category, 63 percent of B category and only 26 percent of C category, she added.
As Bangladesh aims to increase the number of skilled birth attendants, other speakers said, quality should be ensured so that women get their services.
At least 67 percent women deliver child at home at the hands of unskilled persons, resulting in post-delivery complications and deaths. More than 7,000 women die every year while giving births, they added.
