Breastfeeding for achieving MDG-4 stressed

Health experts at a seminar Saturday underscored the need for gearing up breastfeeding campaign in the country for achieving MDG-4 by 2015, reports BSS.brThe experts said the under five child mortality would be reduced significantly, if babies are breastfed within the first hour of their births.brThey were addressing the national seminar on 'Get on track to save children's lives' at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city Saturday. brEminence, a non government health research organisation, in cooperation with Save the Children organised the seminar.brNational Professor Dr MR Khan addressed the seminar as the chief guest while Director General of Health Services Prof Dr MA Faiz presided over it. brAlso spoke at the seminar were Jatiya Samajtantrik Dol (JSD-Inu) President Hasanul Haque Inu, media personality and environmentalist Mahfuz Ullah, Dr MA Hannan and Dr Shamin Hayder of Eminence.brEminence Senior Adviser Dr Abu Muhammad Zakir Hossain presented a keynote paper. brIn his speech, Prof Khan said Bangladesh was in a better position than India in terms of reduction of under-five child mortality rate. brHe said the under-five mortality rate in Bangladesh was 149 death per thousand in 1990 which came down to 69 in 2006.brHe said the government, private agencies and other national and international agencies should work hard in close co-operation for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDG)-4 by 2015.brProf Khan said the breastfeeding should be exclusive for six month and additional foods should start gradually from six months of age. Breastfeeding should continue until two years, he added. brHe said babies could be protected from many common diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and ARI, if they are breastfed within the first hour. brMore than 80 per cent delivery are being handled by the unskilled attendants in rural areas, Prof Faiz said adding that the neonatal deaths could be prevented through creating timely awareness and ensuring safe delivery by trained attendants. brHe urged the media to play effective role by disseminating key messages to the people to raise awareness on checking child mortality. brInu said political leaders, social forces, media and representatives of local bodies would have to work to make any programmes like MDGs a success.brDescribing poverty as main obstacle on way to achieving MDG, Mahfuz Ullah said child mortality would decline ultimately if poverty could be reduced.brOther speakers stressed the need for ensuring nutrition demand for mothers during the period of pregnancy to help give birth to normal babies.