In the matters of growth and development, Bangladesh has its work cut out, given the ever increasing size of our population. This problem alone makes health care, housing, and education bigger challenges than they should be for the government to ensure for every citizen.
In the face of our existing challenges and limited resources, it is quite a feat for Bangladesh to have come as far as it has in achieving many of the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, even succeeding in areas where our immediate neighbours have failed.
One such goal is reducing child mortality rate.
To that end, it is welcome news that Bangladesh has brought down child mortality rate by 73% over the last 25 years.
The reduction in child mortality at this rate has helped us achieve MDG 4 -- and a low child mortality rate is one of the strongest indicators of a nation’s health.
But work still remains, in particular to further reduce mortality among children under five years of age.
With obstacles and challenges at hand, the latest Unicef report on Bangladesh’s child mortality situation is a sign that we are, in fact, on the right track to development.
To move forward from this report to greater development, causes behind child mortality -- such as the socio-economic situation of under-privileged families -- need to be addressed with greater investment and effort from both the government and third-parties concerned.
There is no denying that Bangladesh has come a long way from the days of crippling famine and disease, and the drastic reduction in our child mortality rate is but one of the many ways we continue to become a better nation.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
