Growing awareness improving health indexes in Rangpur division, As a result of widespread government initiatives and growing public awareness, the Rangpur division’s health indicators have improved by lowering maternal and neonatal fatalities, child marriage, and waterborne infections. In order to meet the SDGs by the deadline, rural residents are using family planning strategies, organizing their children’s marriages at the appropriate ages with registration, and using safe drinking water. They are also continuously improving health indices.
Growing awareness improving health indexes in Rangpur division
The possibility of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has, according to officials and experts, become a reality with the decline in maternal and neonatal deaths, social curses, and waterborne diseases, as well as increased awareness among rural residents. Speaking, Dr. Sheikh Md. Saidul Islam, Deputy Director of the District Department of Family Planning (DFP) of Rangpur, stated that able couples are now more aware of adopting different birth control methods.
“As a result of increasing adoption of birth control methods following massive awareness raising publicities, the rate of menstrual regularization (MR) has reduced to almost zero level in the district,” he said. Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWCs), Community Clinics, Union Digital Centers (UDCs), field-level workers of DFP and other health service-providing organizations are largely contributing to achieving the successes.
“As a result, rural people are easily 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,” he said. Director of Rangpur District Information Office ASM Kabir said the District Information Offices are raising public awareness involving community leaders, public representatives, teachers and religious leaders on the issues of health, hygiene, sanitation, women and children.
“Because of comprehensive awareness-building activities being conducted by different government departments and health service facilities, the extent of social courses is reducing to improve health indexes in rural areas,” Kabir added. Chairman of Rangpur-based research organization Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr. Syed Samsuzzaman said rural women have been showing interest in marriage registration, family planning, safe motherhood and education of their daughters.
“Rural women are availing better health, hygiene, sanitation and family planning services from their nearby government health service facilities and using safe drinking water reducing water-borne diseases to improve rural health indexes,” he said. Entrepreneur Arifuzzaman Moon of Saddyapuskorini UDC in Rangpur Sadar said housewives, adolescents, guardians and students are visiting the UDC and other UDCs to have knowledge on health issues and social curses and way-outs.
“Rural women are 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. Former Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam said UDCs, UHFWCs and community clinics are effectively contributing to improving rural health indexes to build a healthier Bangladesh by reducing social curses.
Rural people are preventing child marriage and marrying their sons and daughters at the appropriate ages after receiving education from UHFWCs, Community Clinics, and UDCs as well as from public relations campaigns run by Civil Surgeon Offices, DFP, and public representatives. “Rural women have become aware of getting maternal and neonatal health services from UHFWCs and community clinics and delivering their babies safely,” Dr. Islam said. “By virtue of digitization and comprehensive government efforts.”