Financial Express: Thrust on breastfeeding to curb infant mortality in Bangladesh
December 20, 2011
Health and Social Welfare Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Syed Modasser Ali Monday urged the authorities concerned to ensure breastfeeding in the first hour of life for curbing mortality rate of newborn babies, reports BSS.
"Breastfeeding in the first hour of life is very important for the newborns from community level to national level," he said while inaugurating the 7th National Conference and Scientific Session of the Bangladesh Neonatal Forum at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre as the chief guest.
According to UNICEF, the infant mortality rate has reduced in Bangladesh which was 102 per 1,000 in 1990, has reduced to 41 per 1,000 in 2009.
The conference was informed that every day 12,000 babies are born in the country and 1,20,000 babies die in the first 28 days of life every year.
Chaired by President of Bangladesh Neonatal Forum Prof Mohammad Shahidullah, the conference was also addressed, among others, by Chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Prof Dr MS Akbar, MP, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta, President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Prof Mahmud Hasan, National Prof Dr M R Khan, Michael McGrath, Country Director of Save the Children and Prof Dr Soofia Khatoon.
"Bangladesh has achieved tremendous success in reducing the neonatal and infant mortality rates," the adviser said, adding that innovation of technologies and interventions are essential to achieve the target by 2015.
"We are in the right track in achieving the Millennium Development Goal-4 (MDG-4) for which special attention has to be paid to reducing neonatal mortality as it accounts for 57 per cent of the under-five mortality," Lawmaker Prof MS Akbar said.
"Pediatricians and Neonatologists should devote themselves to providing services to the newborns with health care which is their professional duty," Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta said.