‘Unfinished business’ despite progress: UNFPA director
Despite Bangladesh making progress in ensuring access to full range of sexual and reproductive health information and services for all, there is still “unfinished business”, said the visiting UNFPA regional director for Asia Pacific Björn Andersson.
“There is unfinished business in terms of maternal health, family planning and harmful practices,” he told The Daily Star during an interview in Dhaka on Wednesday while commending Bangladesh’s progress under the ICPD commitment.
ICPD stands for International Conference on Population and Development, a 1994 meeting in Cairo, Egypt where 179 governments adopted a revolutionary programme of action and called for women’s reproductive health rights to take centre stage in national and global development efforts.
ICPD is turning 25 this year, while UNFPA -- which is pursuing the movement -- is turning 50.
The 2019 summit on ICPD will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in November. The governments of Kenya and Denmark, and UNFPA are co-convening the summit.
“It’s [Nairobi meet] a way to re-energise the commitments and to see how we can move forward in closing the gaps,” Andersson said.
The UNFPA regional director also talked about Bangladesh’s progress in population development -- especially demographic dividend, gender-based violence, girls’ access to education and employment, and informed choice of contraceptives.
As of 2017, the net enrolment ratio in primary education is 98 percent, compared to 60 percent in 1990.
However, child marriage, which is now around 59 percent, has not declined as expected, he said, adding, “We want to believe that ICPD has provided an impetus to change things.”
But child marriage remained a challenge despite progress in ensuring gender equality and women’s education, he said.
“ICPD is one of our biggest programmes globally… Bangladesh is very important for UNFPA [in this case],” he said. The ICPD programme moved away from traditional population control towards a human-centred and rights-based approach to development.
It generated a new narrative in the development discourse on an individual’s freedom to decide about their reproductive life -- putting people at the heart of sustainable development. The quality of reproductive health services and respect for women’s rights were placed firmly at the centre.
Andersson also lauded the commissioning of 1,200 trained midwives in upazila-level hospitals across the country.
“Midwifery profession has really been strengthened in Bangladesh and we are proud as UNFPA supported the government to increase the number of midwives and the access to trained, skilled birth attendance,” he said.
He stressed on more investment in the social sector.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited to the upcoming ICPD summit, according to UNFPA officials.
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