PM urges world leaders to reinforce commitment to make life- changing difference for every woman, child

PM urges world leaders to reinforce commitment to make life- changing difference for every woman, child
NEW YORK, Sept 21 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the global leaders to reinforce their collective commitment to make a life- changing difference for every woman and child in the world as the future lies in their wellbeing.

"I call upon all of you to reinforce our collective commitment to make a life- changing difference for every woman and child in our world as the future lies in their wellbeing," she said while addressing a programme titled 'Every Woman, Every Child' in the UN assembly hall at the UN headquarters here last
evening.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg also spoke at the function.

The Prime Minister sought more assistance for health, and early implementation of the pledge of US $ 40 billion from Bangladesh's campaign partners. "Importantly as mentioned in the Global Strategy, we need more assistance for health, and early implementation of the pledge of US $ 40 billion from our campaign partners," she said.

Mentioning that access to affordable life-saving medicines for women and children remains a key in combating health issues, she said it should be ensured through patent waiver for pharmaceuticals for LDCs beyond 2015.

The Prime Minister said her government's aim is to transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021, including better education, health, nutrition and empowerment for every woman and child, especially the most vulnerable.

She said as a least developed country, with millions of climatically vulnerable people and resource constraints, Bangladesh remains ahead of the pack in achieving its millennium goals.

"Based in our belief that maternal and child health form the foundations of a healthy nation, we have placed women's and children's health, education, empowerment and social safety nets at the center of our national development agenda," she said.

Highlighting the government's steps for the development of women and children, Sheikh Hasina said her government's strategy has already reaped great successes in women's and children's health in several areas.

"Bangladesh has reduced Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) by 45 percent since 1990 and remains on track to attain the IMR target of MDG-4," she said, adding the country has also cut Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 66 percent since 1990 and is on track to attain the MMR target of MDG-5.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has raised the mortality rate of children under five above the global average by successfully deploying the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) against six preventable diseases. "We are also successfully combating diarrhoeal diseases through e-health services," she said.

In the Global Campaign last year, she said, Bangladesh made a pledge to double the percentage of healthy births by 2015 with the assistance of skilled health workers.

"Therefore, under our National Health, Population and Nutrition Development Program, a midwifery course has been introduced with about 100 midwives already trained. Our aim is to have 3,000 trained midwives by 2015, and 7,000 of them in a few more years," she said.

Moreover, Sheikh Hasina said, the government is upgrading 59 district hospitals for emergency obstetric care and preparing them as Women Friendly Health Service Centers. "We are also formulating a "National Action Plan" and an "Adolescent Reproductive Health Strategy" to increase awareness about
reproductive matters and prevent adolescent pregnancies," she said./

The Prime Minister said her government has already framed the National Women Development Policy, National Children Policy, National Education Policy and is shortly revising the National Health Policy.

"Despite our own efforts, Bangladesh is a climatically vulnerable country with numerable health challenges. Our country- led programs deserve to be supported by the international community and the global partners in the 'Every Woman, Every Child' campaign," she said.

At the outset of her speech, Sheikh Hasina congratulated the UN secretary-general on his impressive 'Every Woman Every Child' project, which has significantly improved the lives of millions of women and children around the world.

She also applauded Ban Ki-moon for launching the 'Global Campaign and the Strategy for Women's and Children's Health' last year.

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