Govt to cut child deaths from pneumonia
Officials mention country's efforts at a global conference
FE REPORT | Friday, 7 February 2020
The government of Bangladesh is committed to fulfilling the global targets of reducing rate of child mortality from pneumonia.
The commitment came at the world's first global conference on childhood pneumonia, held in Barcelona of Spain from January 29 to 31, a press release issued Thursday by Save the Children mentioned.
Dr Shamsul Haque, line director of Mother Neonatal Care and Adolescent Health (MNC&AH) under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Shariful Islam, programme manager at National Newborn Health Programme and Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (NNHP & IMCI) attended the forum in Barcelona.
Dr Golam Mothabbir, a senior public health professional, also attended the global forum as a representative from Save the Children in Bangladesh.
"The government of Bangladesh is committed to reducing children dying from pneumonia to reach global targets of three pneumonia deaths per 1,000 live births by 2025," said Shamsul Haque, as he participated as a panellist in the national government perspectives session of the forum.
Shariful Islam said Bangladesh aims to develop a National Pneumonia Prevention and Control Strategy to ensure quality equitable access to primary healthcare and contributing towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
However, Save the Children and Johns Hopkins University recently released a report which highlighted that nearly 140,000 child deaths from pneumonia and other related diseases could avert in Bangladesh over the next ten years through collaborative efforts.
Pneumonia is one of the leading killers of under-five children in Bangladesh. Currently, more than one in 10 children who are under-five dies in the country due to pneumonia.
Save the Children appreciates the government's efforts in improving exclusive breastfeeding rates and reducing malnutrition rates in Bangladesh, said Dr Golam Mothabbir.
"We will continue to work with Bangladesh in prioritising vulnerable populations and ensuring quality treatment for all," he added.