Department for International Development (DFID) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) signed a grant agreement for producing competitive midwives in Bangladesh on Sunday.
The UK's DFID signed a grant agreement with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Sunday for reducing the maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh by improving the quality of midwifery education.
Under the Strengthening the National Midwifery Programme (SNMP), the UK grant through UNFPA will support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to that end. Under this programme the UNFPA will work closely with the Directorate of Nursing, MoHFW, and contribute to achieving the agreed principles of quality, equity and efficiency of the upcoming 4th health sector programme of the MoHFW.
According to the UNFPA, nearly 6,000 women still die annually in Bangladesh due to preventable pregnancy-related causes. That underlines the need for skilled midwives in the country. Jane Edmondson, Head of the Department for International Development (DFID), said better maternal and newborn health is an important area for both the governments of the UK and Bangladesh. Appreciating reduction of the maternal deaths from over 12,000 in 2001 to fewer than 6,000 in 2014, Jane said 6,000 deaths a year are still too many.
UNFPA Representative Argentina Matavel Piccin described the programme as a turning point in the fight for reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity in the country.
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