Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that 18,000 community clinics have been set up across the country for every 6,000 citizens to ensure maternal and child health care.

Besides, we have adopted the National Nutrition Programme, the main objective of which is to reduce the existing malnutrition among children and expectant mothers.

He said, we also take special initiatives in the development and empowerment of women. Our sincere efforts also continue to eliminate inequality between men and women, expand women’s education and increase their participation in economic activities.

The Prime Minister said these things in his welcome speech at the opening ceremony titled ‘ICPD-30: Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development’ organized at the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital on Wednesday (May 15).

The dialogue was organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Representatives of 48 countries are participating in this dialogue.

In his welcome speech, the Prime Minister thanked UNFPA and said, I congratulate the Executive Director of UNFPA for choosing Bangladesh to host this global dialogue.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, your interest and conviction in achieving global sustainable development by utilizing demographic diversity has inspired us.

Referring to the program undertaken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in improving public health after the Liberation War, Sheikh Hasina said that right after independence in 1972, our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman included the improvement of public health as one of the basic responsibilities of the state in the constitution. In the first five-year plan of 1973-1978 made under his guidance, the utmost importance was laid on proper management of population.

He said that Bangabandhu as the head of state formed a high-powered ‘National Population Council’ which was chaired by Bangabandhu himself.

Pointing out that Bangabandhu could not see the success of population management, the Prime Minister said that after the brutal murder of Bangabandhu’s family in 1975, due to the undemocratic policies of the ruling governments, population management did not achieve the expected success.

He said that our party Bangladesh Awami League formed the government in 1996 through a long democratic struggle. After assuming office, following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, we formulated a new ‘National Health Policy’ to ensure primary health care for all.

But during the BNP-Jamaat government from 2001 to 2006, many of our public welfare programs including community clinics were cancelled. As a result, there is stagnation in population development and proper management.

After coming back to power in the elections held in 2009, Awami League re-launched the program, the head of government said, after being elected by a large vote of the people in 2009 and returning to the responsibility of managing the government, we formulated the National Population Policy 2012 to implement the 15 principles of the ICPD Program of Action. We undertake comprehensive programs to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, provide maternal and newborn health care, child and adolescent reproductive health, nutrition and family planning services. We restarted the closed community clinic project to provide healthcare to the remote areas of the country.

Currently, there are more than 14,500 community clinics operating across the country. Through these, 30 essential medicines including maternal and child healthcare are being provided free of cost. Out of this Skilled Birth Attendance service is being provided in about 3000 clinics. In addition, maternal, child and adolescent health and family planning services are being provided through 3,290 Union Health and Family Welfare Centers/Family Planning Clinics under the Directorate of Family Planning. Of these, 2,200 centers are providing round-the-clock natural delivery services. A plan has been adopted to appoint 4 midwives each in these centers to provide maternity services.

He said, in 2010, I promised to recruit 30,000 midwives in a ceremony organized at the United Nations headquarters. I hope that it will be possible to recruit 20 thousand midwives in the next few years.