4.52 lakh families to reap benefits

The government has taken up a project to reduce maternity-related deaths to a zero and improve at least 90 per cent socio-economic development for the poor, the underprivileged and the disadvantaged people.

The project will bring 1,839 villages of 106 unions at 10 upazilas under Rajbari, Faridpur and Goplaganj districts in Dhaka division.

About 4.52 lakh families will be benefited from the project.

The Social Welfare Ministry has sent the project proposal titled “Safe Life” to the Planning Commission for the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, a senior official of the Planning Ministry told The Business Post.

The project aims to ensure maternity services for women. The cost of the project is estimated at Tk 48.78 crore, of which Tk 39.3 crore will come from the government exchequer and Tk 9.75 crore from a private organisation working for health and education for under-privileged people in local levels.

The Department of Social Services will implement the project by June 2024.

“We have held a project evaluation committee meeting on the project on September 26. We have cleared it for the final nod,” said Tahmina Zakaria, deputy chief, Socio-Economic Infrastructure Division under the Planning Commission.

Once implemented, maternal and child mortality rates will be reduced while the quality of service for pregnant mothers and newborns will be improved and ensured, she added.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the mortality rate of would-be mothers and newborns is very high, particularly in rural areas across the country.

The main reasons are child marriage and childbirth at home because of incompetent midwives or relatives. Adolescent mother has the highest risk of newborn death in the country.

About 73 per cent of all newborn deaths occur at home, with a low social status of women and family insecurity being one of the reasons. Most of the children in the country suffer from malnutrition.