RANGPUR, Sept 21: A six-day learning and sharing workshop on preventing preterm births started at RDRS auditorium in Rangpur town on Saturday.
A total of 24 foreign delegates from Canada, Mali, and Ethiopia as well as some local participants took part in the event.
Plan International Bangladesh organised the event as the host of "Born On Time" project which is being implemented in three countries - Bangladesh, Mali, and Ethiopia - by Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision respectively with support from Global Affairs Canada and Johnson & Johnson. Zakir Hossain, Additional Commissioner, Rangpur Division was present as the chief guest while Dr. Hirombo Kumar Roy, Civil Surgeon, Rangpur chaired the inauguration session.
Kyle Scott, Executive Director of LAMB, Sylvia Islam, Senior Development Advisor, Global Affairs Canada, High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh, and Debashish Saha, In Charge Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh, were present as the special guests.
The first day of the weeklong workshop started with welcome speech by Debashish Saha. Marie Bettings.
Programme Director, World Vision Canada shared the objectives of the workshop, that is to review progress to date, share learning experience and challenges and action plan how to best implement those (learning) in the final year of the project in three countries.
Ashish Kumar Bakshi, Divisional Manager of Plan International Bangladesh handed over crests to the guests.
The inauguration session over, each country shared the burden of premature births in each country. The global presentation on the subject was made by Dr. Arefin Amal Islam, the Project Manager of "Born On Time" project of Plan International Bangladesh.
The presentation disclosed the following facts, number of preterm births every year in different countries are: Bangladesh -6,03,700, Ethiopia - 3,76,730 and Mali -89,220. One million children globally are estimated to die each year because they were born too soon. 81 per cent of preterm birth occurs in Africa and Southeast Asia.
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