UN to jointly invest with Bangladesh govt for healthcare: Ban Ki-moon

MOULVIBAZAR, Nov 15 (UNB): Visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday said Bangladesh government and the United Nations would jointly invest more to ensure healthcare of children, adolescents and mothers in the country. "Having a healthy mother and having a healthy baby can help build a good nation," he said while exchanging views with a group of mothers at Mobarakpur village in Kulaura Upazila of the district. Ban Ki-moon was accompanied by his wife and head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr Babatunde Osotimehin. Exchanging views with the women, the UN chief said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in providing healthcare to the poor including mothers and children. "I'm here to showcase these success stories to other countries of the world." Mentioning that the UN has given top priority to improving the health of mothers and children, he said when mothers are healthy, babies grow up healthy, but when mothers will not be healthy, babies' health will be in danger. Ban appreciated the activities of the community clinics to ensure healthcare for the people and lauded the role of the government, community people and NGOs in this regard. "You are on right track to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing mortality rates of mothers and neonatal," he told the women. Earlier, a helicopter carrying Ban Ki-moon landed on the playground of Salon government primary school. Immediately, the UN secretary general started for Mobarakpur community clinic where he went round the clinic. He joined a meeting of the adolescent girls who were discussing the topic of early marriage and exchanged views with them. Talking to the adolescent girls, Ban Ki-moon appreciated the initiatives of the government and the NGOs to create awareness about the harmful effects of early marriage.