The growing public awareness by virtue of digitisation and other government efforts continues reducing extent of maternal and neonatal deaths and child marriage for improving health indexes in rural areas of Rangpur division, reports BSS.
The rural people are now adopting family planning methods, stopping child marriage and arranging marriage of their sons and daughters at right ages with registration to improve overall health indexes on way to build a healthier nation.
Officials and experts said the prospect of achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a reality now with reduction in maternal and neonatal deaths and social curses with growing awareness among rural people.
Talking to BSS, Senior District Information Officer Humayun Kobir of Rangpur said the Union Digital Centers (UDCs), Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWCs) and community clinics are contributing a lot to build a healthier nation.
“The rural people are getting information and services on child marriage, marriage registration, safe motherhood, safe pregnancy and delivery, maternal and neonatal health services, hygiene, sanitation and safe drinking water from them (UDCs, UHFWCs, community clinics),” he said.
The District Information Offices are also raising social awareness involving community leaders, public representatives, teachers, religious leaders, rural women, adolescents and children on the issues of health, hygiene and sanitation.
“Because of comprehensive awareness building activities being conducted by different government departments, NGOs and health service facilities the extent of social curses is reducing significantly improving health indexes in rural areas,” Kobir added.
Chairman of Rangpur-based research organisation ‘Northbengal Institute of Development Studies’ Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said rural women are now showing interest in marriage registration, family planning, safe motherhood and education of their daughters.
“The rural women are also availing better health, hygiene, sanitation and family planning services from their nearby health service facilities and safe drinking water reducing the water-borne diseases and improving rural health indexes,” he added.
Entrepreneur Arifuzzaman Moon of Saddyapuskorini UDC in Rangpur Sadar upazila said housewives, male and female youths, adolescents, guardians and students are visiting the UDC to have knowledge on social curses and way-outs.
“The women community is now becoming aware of their nutritional aspects, health and hygiene, safe pregnancy and delivery and producing nutritional vegetables and fruits at homesteads for consumption after getting knowledge from UDCs,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin said UDCs, UHFWCs and community clinics are playing crucial roles in improving rural health indexes to build a healthier and developed Bangladesh faster along with contributing to reducing social curses.
“Getting knowledge from UDCs, UHFWCs and community clinics and publicities being conducted by District Information Offices, Civil Surgeon Offices and Department of Family Planning (DFP), rural people are now preventing child marriage,” she added.
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Amin Ahmed Khan said pregnant mothers have now easy access to maternal and neonatal health services and safe delivery facilities at the UHFWCs and community clinics in remote rural areas.
“By virtue of digitisation and comprehensive GO-NGO efforts, rural women have become aware of getting maternal and neonatal health services from UHFWCs and community clinics in rural areas and giving birth their babies safely,” Dr Khan said.
Rangpur Divisional Director of the DFP Md. Mahbub Alam said the inclusive GO-NGO efforts and laudable contributions of UDCs, UHFWCs and community clinics are improving rural health indexes and preventing social curses to achieve the SDGs.