More midwives needed to cut maternal mortality

Speakers tell seminar

5 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The number of midwifes should be increased in the country to reduce maternal and newborn mortality, speakers said at a seminar yesterday. Bangladesh Nursing Council organised the seminar to mark International Day of the Midwife. It also held a rally on the Central Shaheed Minar premises. The theme of this year's Midwife Day is 'The world needs midwife now more than ever.' Saying that a skilled birth attendant is a must to ensure safe delivery, they added that creating more midwifes is imperative if Bangladesh wants to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4. The MDG 4 tells of reducing maternal mortality rate to 143 per one lakh live birth and increasing delivery by the skilled birth attendants to 50 percent. But unfortunately, less than 20 percent delivery is conducted by skilled birth attendants, they said. They also demanded a 'midwife' cadre and a coordinated effort of the government, non-government organisations in this regard and basic, post basic BSC and master's degree in midwifery. At the same time, awareness should be raised in the society so that every mother goes to a skilled birth attendant. Director General of Health Services Shah Monir Hossain, World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Bangladesh Dr Duangvadee Sungkhobol and UNFPA Representative Arthur Erken also spoke at the seminar. President of Bangladesh Nursing Council Ira Dibra presided over the session while Registrar of the council Suraiya Begum read out the keynote paper.