Dhaka, Oct 7 (PTI) Bangladesh is all set to launch a year-long campaign to make contraceptives available at people’s doorsteps as part of a government effort to contain population growth, a senior minister said on Wednesday.
The campaign, being conducted under the slogan “no more than two children, one is better”, will be launched by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on December 1, Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain said.
It is aimed at expanding access to contraceptive methods while providing people with information and counselling on family planning, the minister said.
“Contraceptives will be made available at people’s doorsteps alongside the required advice,” he said.
Hossain said family planning has emerged as “our weakest area as we could not do much in this regard”, and the new campaign would seek to address the issue through intensified efforts over the next year.
“Unfortunately, the birth rate, which was once low, has increased by more than 2 per cent,” he said.
“We will not just talk about it; rather, we will also supply and deliver all kinds of (contraceptive) materials such as tablets to people’s doorsteps,” Hossain said.
The announcement comes as Bangladesh, one of the world’s most densely populated countries, seeks to revive momentum in its family planning programme.
According to Worldometer, a reference website that provides real-time statistics and live counters for a wide range of global topics, Bangladesh’s population is currently estimated at more than 178.42 million, making it the world’s eighth most populous country. The country has a land area of about 148,460 square kilometres.
The population accounts for around 2.1 per cent of the world’s total, while the average population density is about 1,366 people per sq km, according to the website.
The government announcement comes a year after the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted both the achievements and challenges facing Bangladesh’s family planning programme.
For every USD 1 invested in family planning, Bangladesh could save USD 14 in health and social costs, prevent 30 per cent of maternal deaths and reduce unintended pregnancies by two-thirds, the UNFPA said in a report last year.
“Bangladesh’s family planning journey has been marked by extraordinary success, with the use of modern contraception methods soaring from 8 per cent in the 1970s to 64 per cent,” the UNFPA said.
However, it said progress had recently stagnated, leaving about five million women in Bangladesh with an unmet need for contraception. PTI AR SCY SCY
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