Community volunteers are playing pioneering roles towards improving maternal, neonatal and child health in the rural areas through their devotion and painstaking efforts.

Rural expectant mothers are availing necessary services related to antenatal care (ANC), institutional delivery, normal vaginal delivery, postnatal care (PNC) and neonatal care as per the guidance and suggestions of the community volunteers.

The present government has given utmost emphasis on institutional delivery side by side with ensuring ANC, PNC and neonatal care to achieve the SDG-3 through bringing down maternal and newborn death to the stipulated figures by 2030.

Health experts and development activists came up with the observations while addressing a learning sharing and resource (Community Volunteer) handover ceremony in Rajshahi on Tuesday.

On behalf of its ‘Public Health Improvement Initiative Rajshahi (PHIIR)’ project, DASCOH Foundation organized the meeting at its office premises, largely attended by the officials of the department of health services, family planning, public representatives and other stakeholders.

DASCOH Foundation has been implementing the PHIIR project supported by Swiss
Red Cross (SRC) at five upazila health complexes, 42 Union Health and Family Welfare Centres and 110 Community Clinics under Bagmara, Charghat and Tanore
upazilas in Rajshahi and Porsha and Sapahar in Naogaon districts.

The project is intended to improve the health status with special focus on maternal, neonatal and child health at primary health care level.

In her welcome speech, Dr Nurun Naher, Director (Health and Environment), DASCOH Foundation, said they have 126 Community Volunteers, who were imparted several types of training and follow up for their capacity building.

Particularly, they are playing vital role to improve maternal, neonatal and child health services by staying their respective villages. But PHIIR Project  is scheduled to be phased out by this year end.

Deputy Director of Family Planning Dr Kasturi Amina Queen, Deputy Civil Surgeons Dr Munir Ali Akanda and Dr Rafiul Islam, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers Dr Towfiq Reza, Dr Abdul Hakim and Dr Ashiqur Rahman and Upazila Chairmen Faqrul Islam and Lutfar Haider Rashid Moyna addressed the meeting.

UP Chairman Azharul Haque, Chief Executive Officer of DASCOH Foundation Akramul Haque and PHIIR Project Manager Tozammel Haque also spoke.

On the occasion, the attending health and family planning officials received the 126 community volunteers and assured that they will use them as par needs and demands of the community.