UNFPA congratulates BD on historic commitment

Bangladesh took centre stage in global health this week, announcing before the world's midwifery community in Lisbon that it will create and deploy 25,000 midwives across its public health system by 2030, reports BSS.

The pledge, the largest investment in the country's midwifery workforce in its history, was delivered on June 14 by Bangladesh Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Health Affairs Dr S M Ziauddin Hyder at the 34th Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), said a press release received on Monday.

At the Congress opening ceremony, UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita singled out Bangladesh as a 'trailblazer' in building a professional midwifery cadre, naming it among a handful of champion countries leading the global Midwifery Accelerator.

"Bangladesh is showing the world that investing in midwives is investing in survival," said Keita, announcing the commitment in Lisbon.