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Ensure better health services to people

PM urges govt, non-govt institutions

UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged family planning workers, local public representatives, non-govemmental organisations and institutions to be more active in providing people with facilities of population control service centres.
She made the call on the occasion of the World Population Day 2009 observed yesterday amid concerns over public health status and population growth.
Her call was contained in a message read out by Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque at the inaugural function of the population day at the city's Osmani Auditorium.
Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to attend the function as chief guest, but did not.
In the message, the PM said if the country's population growth continued to increase at die present rate of 1.39, die population will almost double in die next 49 years as the country' present total population is about 14 crore.
"For this, fulfilling people s basic needs like food, clothing, accommodation, education, healdi and communications infrastructures will be more difficult." she said.
The government has taken steps to ensure family planning. healthcare of mothers and children from the capital city to union parishad level, she said.
Hasina said the govern-. ment is reopening die com-• munity health clinics to ensure maternal and child health facilities.
The health minister in his speech underscored the need for bolstering the country's population control programme through increasing male users of family planning methods.
He said as per the target of the government's health, nutrition and population programme, it has only next two years in hand to increase the users of the family planning methods by 72 per cent.
The theme of the World Population Day 2009 is “Responding to economic crisis: Investing in women is a smart choice".
The minister said among the 55.8 per cent users of the
family planning methods, only 5.2 per cent are males. Besides, despite having demand. 17.6 per cent capable couples are yet to get contraceptives.
He said population growth rate dropped to 1.39 per cent in 2008 from 3 per cent in 1971 while total rate of reproductivity decreased to 2.7 per cent in 2007 from 6.3 per cent of 1971. "But there is no scope to be complacent. Total rate of re-productivity will have to be reduced to 2.2 per cent and net rate to one per cent by 2011,” Ruhalsaid.
He told the function dial the population control campaign will be beefed up in Sylhet and Chittagong divisions and in chars, slums and haor regions as these areas arc lagging behind in attaining the target of population control.
The health minister identified early marriage as one of the reasons for the high rate of maternal and child deaths.
Ruhai unveiled a postal stamp and its opening cover at the function. Besides, prizes were distributed among the best workers, institutions of family planning programme, and winners of an essay and painting competition arranged on the occasion.
The function was also addressed by PM's Adviser Syed Mudasser Ali and UNFPA representative in Dhaka zXrthurErken.