Advocacy, research essential to end maternal death, gender violence: Experts

Advocacy and qualitative research is necessary for the implementation of the "3 Zeroes Agenda" – zero maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices – which will improve the quality of people's life, said public health experts.

The speakers said these things in the "3 Zeros Action Network – Consultative Meeting on Way Forward" organised by Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC) Saturday. It was presided over by Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC.

"There are specific agenda-based commitments to achieve the '3 Zeroes' by 2030, which are directly related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but we still need to overcome a lot of challenges in implementing this agenda," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre, at a virtual seminar on Saturday.

"More research is needed to clearly understand the pandemic's effect on the use of family planning methods, maternal health, gender-based violence, and child marriage. However, an analysis of existing data suggests that reproductive health care has experienced disruptions during the pandemic," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman at the "3 Zeroes Action Network Consultative Meeting on Way Forward", organised by Power and Participation Research Centre.

"Bangladesh has topped the list of South Asian countries with child marriage. Research is needed to find out where child marriage is occurring more, and why. Various public and private organisations are working on numerous social problems. There should be coordination and understanding among them, because one problem is related to another," said Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh.

"Advocacy should be provided by increasing community engagement. If there is a problem in implementing the plan, that should also be identified," she added.

Dr Mohammad Mainul Islam, professor of population sciences at Dhaka University, said the programmes and commitments of the "International Conference on Population and Development" need to be realised in order to continue Bangladesh's development progress.

Besides, population and development issues should be emphasised in national policies and plans to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, he added.

Speakers at the programme said development must be based on rights, and equality. The policies regarding population, health, women's development, the National Action Plan to End Child Marriage, and other relevant policies should be updated by focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Moreover, family planning programmes need to be strengthened to meet the first zero target – fulfilling the unmet need of family planning. Special measures should be taken in the areas where the success rate is low in this regard.