Canada announces health initiative to empower women and girls in Bangladesh

Canada announces health initiative to empower women and girls in Bangladesh

Canada announced that it is allocating $35 million over five years to the Improving Maternal, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights project.

The initiative—to be implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund—will improve awareness of and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls in Bangladesh. It will also provide essential health services to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in selected districts of the country. Expected results include:

  • 1.75 million women and girls, including 250,000 adolescents, becoming more aware of their SRHR;
  • 370,000 women and girls identifying midwives as their trusted birth attendants;
  • 90,000 women delivering their babies in public health facilities;
  • 50,000 mothers closely tracked by health professionals to ensure safe pregnancies and post-natal care;
  • 13,500 women with obstetric complications receiving timely life-saving emergency obstetric and newborn care services;
  • 30,000 women and girls accessing post-partum family planning services;
  • 120,000 women and girls receiving information and services on the topic of gender-based violence;
  • 186,000 community members becoming aware of and prepared to address, contributors to maternal mortality, including social determinants.

Original source: GA Canada
Published on 23 November 2017