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KOICA-UNICEF join hands to scale up home-based essential maternal and newborn care in Tangail

DHAKA, October 5, 2011: UNICEF has received a grant of US$2 million from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to implement the project, "Home-based Maternal and Newborn Care Interventions to Accelerate Progress towards Achieving MDG-4".
 
The project titled, “Tangail Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health project (TMNCP)”, was formally launched at a city hotel today. The project aims to scale up home-based essential maternal and newborn care interventions, supplemented by strengthened referral care services in three low performing upazilas of Tangail district over a period of three years from 2011-2013.

As a part of the programme, equipment for establishing special care newborn unit were handed over to the civil surgeon of Tangail. These included: radiant warmer, photo therapy and other essential tools to equip the district hospital of Tangail.

Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Taiyoung Cho, KOIKA Resident Representative Jung-Wook Lee, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare AKM Amir Hossain and UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Carel de Rooy were present in the launching. Director General of Health Services Prof. Dr. Khondhaker Md. Shefayet Ullah and Director General of Family Planning MM Neazuddin were also present.

The project will be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, ICDDR,B
and partner NGOs, covering a population of 733,983 which include 25,700 pregnant women, 20,200 neonates, 37,100 under-2 year children and 181,300 women between 15-49 years.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative, thanked the KOICA for funding this initiative. He says: “The launching of this project in Tangail district signifies the government’s on-going efforts to nationally scale up evidence-based cost-effective approaches to reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality.”

“I firmly believe that with all our concerted efforts, this project will be able to achieve its desired objective of substantially by reducing the neonatal mortality and contribute to achieving MDG-4 & 5,” he says.

Since 2008, UNICEF has been supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Planning for scaling up newborn care services as part of its present country programme agreement with the government of Bangladesh. Among other things, UNICEF has also supported the ministry for the development of National Neonatal Health strategy and Guidelines and National Action Plan for Neonatal Health along with other development partners and professional bodies.
 
For more information, please contact:
• Arifa S. Sharmin, Officer-in Charge, Communication and Information Section 9336701-10 Ext 7021  assharmin@unicef.org
• Iftikhar A Chowdhury,  Communication Officer, Communication and Information Section, UNICEF Tel: 8852266, Ext: 7028, Email: iachowdhury@unicef.org