Bangladesh's Announcement at the London Summit on Family Planning | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Summary

Professor Dr. Ruhal Hak, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, outlines the country's commitment to improving Family Planning services for eligible couples. The goal is to reduce fertility rates, increase contraceptive prevalence, and eliminate disparities between urban and rural areas by 2021, which marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence. Key initiatives include training healthcare professionals, addressing adolescent pregnancies, securing additional funding, and adopting innovative service delivery methods. Bangladesh aims to expand access to reproductive health services and meet ambitious targets to improve overall family planning outcomes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The goal of Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is to ensure quality family planning services for eligible couples.
• 😀 Target to reduce the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.0 by 2016 and further to 1.7 by 2021.
• 😀 Increase the contraceptive prevalence rate from 61% to 80% by 2021, marking the 50th year of Bangladesh's independence.
• 😀 The government is committed to reaching the replacement fertility level of 2.0 by 2016 and further reducing it by 2021.
• 😀 Training of skilled nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals is critical to delivering family planning services.
• 😀 Focus on reducing geographical disparities in access to family planning services between urban and rural areas, as well as rich and poor populations.
• 😀 Adolescent pregnancies remain a significant issue, and the government is taking steps to address this challenge.
• 😀 The Bangladesh government is investing approximately 400 million USD by 2021 to cover 39.4 million eligible couples.
• 😀 An additional 380 million USD will be required over the next 5 years to meet the targets, and international assistance is sought.
• 😀 The government aims to reduce the unmet need for family planning from 12% to 7% by 2021 and improve the method mix by increasing long-acting and permanent methods to 30%.
• 😀 Family planning services will be enhanced in low-performing districts, particularly in the southern and eastern regions, as well as urban slums.
• 😀 The discontinuation rate for contraceptives should be reduced from 36% to 20% by 2021, along with innovative service delivery through ICT and behavioral change strategies.
• 😀 A third of maternal and child health centers will be upgraded to provide adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning.

Q & A

What is the primary goal outlined in the speech by Professor Dr. Ruhal Hak?

The primary goal is to ensure quality Family Planning services for eligible couples, particularly by improving access and utilization, especially for the poor.

What fertility target does the government of Bangladesh aim to achieve by 2021?

The target is to reduce the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2 by 2016 and then further reduce it to 1.7 by 2021.

How does Bangladesh plan to increase contraceptive prevalence?

Bangladesh aims to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate from 61% to 80% by 2021.

What is the significance of the year 2021 for Bangladesh's health policy?

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence, making it a key milestone for the country’s health and Family Planning goals.

How does the government of Bangladesh plan to address inequalities in access to Family Planning services?

The government aims to eliminate geographical disparities and inequalities between urban and rural areas, as well as address issues such as high adolescent pregnancies.

What financial commitment has Bangladesh made to Family Planning services by 2021?

Bangladesh has committed to providing approximately USD 400 million by the government to cover 39.4 million eligible couples by 2021.

What resource gap does Bangladesh face in reaching its Family Planning targets?

Bangladesh faces a resource gap of approximately USD 380 million, which would require an additional USD 40 million per year to meet the targets by 2021.

What are the targets related to contraceptive use and unmet needs by 2021?

The government aims to reduce the unmet need for Family Planning from 12% to 7%, and to address the skewed method mix by increasing the use of long-acting and permanent methods to 30%.

How does Bangladesh plan to improve Family Planning services in low-performing districts?

Bangladesh plans to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate to 60% in low-performing districts, particularly in the southeastern part of the country and in urban slums.

What innovative approaches are being adopted to improve Family Planning services?

Innovative service delivery approaches, including behavioral change strategies, the use of ICT, and upgrading maternal and child health facilities to offer adolescent-friendly services, are being implemented.