Cheery words from UN child body

The Unicef's commendation of the government for its success in lowering maternal and child mortalities is well-deserved. The executive director of UN Children's Fund Anthony Lake sounded upbeat when he said there was a lot to learn from Bangladesh. Between 1991 and 2011 under-five deaths reduced by almost 75 percent. This is being ascribed to successive governments' 'commitment to innovation and knowledge sharing'.
The challenge lies now in turning attention to problem areas. About 60 percent of child deaths in Bangladesh happen during the first 28 days of birth. This figure, read with 71 percent of deliveries in the countries still taking place at home, conjures up the magnitude of the task at hand. Lack of hygienic intervention causes most of the neonatal deaths.
Of the reasons behind child mortality, diarrhoea, pneumonia and drowning, receive attention in a descending order. All the causes need to be addressed with equal focus if we are to prevent under-five children's deaths.
One particular concern relates to malnutrition which sees 41 percent of the children under-five suffering from stunted growth. This concern needs to be prioritised for the sake of ensuring a flow of healthy adolescents to the country seemingly poised to reaping demographic dividends in the shape of a larger segment of population constituted by 15 to 35 age groups.