UNFPA approved Bangladesh’s Country Programme June 10

New York : A country programme for Bangladesh has been considered and approved June 10 during the Executive Board meeting of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The purpose of the programme is to continue UNFPA’s work in the areas of population development, reproductive health and gender equality. In doing so, the programme will focus on reducing inequalities, improving health human resources, improving the quality of emergency obstetric care and providing youth friendly services. The programme is based on the situation analysis, the programme evaluation and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), 2012-2016.

The approved country programme is $70 million, of which $40 million from regular budget. This is in line with the Bangladesh Government’s commitment to double the percentage of skilled birth attendance, reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancies and to halve the unmet need for family planning by 2015.The USA, Sweden and Tanzania appreciated the work being done in Bangladesh and reiterated their support for the country programme. The US delegate stressed the need to work with vulnerable groups such as commercial sex workers and drug users in order to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS. Sweden emphasized the need to involve all stakeholders to be more effective.

While taking the floor the Economic Minister of the Bangladesh Mission to the UN,  Nojibur Rahman thanked the Executive Board for their approval of the Bangladesh Country Programme. He stressed that the programme would help reduce maternal mortality, improve safe-motherhood, improve access to quality maternal health services and reduce fistula. He assured the Executive Board that the Government of Bangladesh attaches high priorities to UNFPA program activities in the country and it is fully guided with the spirit of national ownership as well as partnership with all stakeholders including the international community. He reiterated that the country program will help towards achieving the principles of the Istanbul Declaration and the recently adopted Istanbul Program of Action for Least Developed Countries.Nojibur Rahman also highlighted that as an LDC Bangladesh has made noteworthy progress in the attainment of MDGs from 2000 to 2011. The Government of Bangladesh is pursuing strategic approaches like targeted transfer of resources, improved access to health and education for women and children and active partnership with international acclaimed national NGOs and civil societies which have contributed to Bangladesh’s human development take-off. Serious issues like the prevention of HIV/AIDS are being addressed through multi-sectoral approaches with the involvement of the highest political level. This is yielding positive results which are not endemic in the country. Due to the pragmatic policies, there has also been a remarkable progress in the reduction in fertility, motility rates, malnutrition, polio eradication and iodine deficiency disorder.

Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities in the world, especially in urban areas. Approximately one third of the population is between the ages of 10-24 and their reproductive behavior will determine the future of the country. In the past 10 years, fertility and maternal mortality have declined significantly. It is noteworthy to mention that maternal mortality declined almost 40 percent between 2001 and 2010.