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‘How to ensure safe motherhood?’
Prof. Dr. A B M Abdullah, Dean of Medicine Faculty, BMSSU : May 28 is International Safe Motherhood Day. Even though the day was recognized as International Women’s Health Day since 1987 throughout the world, considering the importance and effectiveness of maternal health it was celebrated as Safe Motherhood Day since 1997 in Bangladesh.
Preventing mother and child mortality, raising awareness about short and long-term illnesses alongside their prevention, increasing quality of maternal health, safe birth, nutrition and healthcare as well as raising awareness about these issues among all sections of the society are the primary aims of this day.
This alongside establishing safe motherhood as a right of women and decreasing newborn mortality rate are important topics for the day.
In 1997, the then prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, announced observing May 28 every year as Safe Motherhood Day for raising awareness about maternal health and preventing maternal mortality as goals towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) within 2015. On achieving this feat, Bangladesh in 2010 was honored by the UN with the MDG award and in 2011 with the South-South Award. In spite of achieving so much, the lack of awareness causing complications during pregnancy has interfered with reducing the maternal mortality and expectancy rates. Among these, the most significant are seizures, blood loss during childbirth, and lack of iron in mother’s blood. Furthermore, the lack of advanced technology in government hospitals, treatments and doctors in remote parts of the country is still alarming. The lack of proper treatment in maternal health centers, satellite clinics and NGO-run centers is also quite significant. It is important to take initiatives against the slow rate of maternal mortality prevention caused by these. If awareness can be raised among all members of the society, safe motherhood can be achieved and everyone can enjoy these rights. Ensuring and maintaining safe motherhood are the rights of women. Let these be the promises of Safe Motherhood Day this year.