Advocacy

Overall objective: To sensitize all relevant stakeholders for their effective involvement and participation to reduce maternal, newborn & child mortality and achieve MDG s 4 & 5 by 2015.

Specific Objectives:

• To influence policy makers to adopt proper national strategies/guidelines to address effectively & efficiently maternal & newborn issues.
  
• To motivate & make capable health service providers for qualitative MN health services at facility and community level.
  
• To mobilize community and women groups by different promotional tools and ensure best MN practices.
  
• To attract Government and donors attention and ensure proper funding for maternal & newborn initiative.
  

Major activities:

• Prepare papers and presentation on maternal & newborn scenario in Bangladesh and other developing countries.
  develop different fact findings and lesson learnt on maternal & newborn care
  
• Organize different workshop, seminar & symposium for policy makers and decision makers.
• Colorfully observe different national & international day on mother and child issues in local level as well as national level
  
• Organize public gathering for promoting maternal & newborn care
  
• Sensitizes health service providers through orientations, meetings and collaborations.
  
• Organize community mobilization activities (IPC, group meeting, uttan baythok & women groups etc).
  

Women's community groups have had a dramatic effect on reducing neonatal mortality rates in some of the poorest areas of India, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet today. The groups provide a cost-effective intervention with added benefits such as significantly reducing maternal depression and improving decision-making amongst the women.
Between 2005 and 2008, a team of researchers led by Professor Anthony Costello from the Institute of Child Health, UCL (University College London), and Dr Prasanta Tripathy, from the Indian voluntary organisation Ekjut, evaluated how women's groups affected neonatal mortality and maternal depression in intervention areas as compared to areas where no participatory groups were set up.
The effects of the interventions were dramatic: by the second and third years of the trial, the neonatal mortality rate in the areas where the participatory women's groups existed had fallen by 45%. These areas also saw a significant fall (57%) in moderate depression amongst mothers by the third year of the trial.

The Lancet articles can be downloaded here:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2962042-0/fulltext#article_upsell
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60142-0/fulltext

IDC Report on DFID's Programme in Bangladesh
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/international_development/ind0910an19.cfm
Full report here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmintdev.htm

We have been instrumental in assisting the Government of Bangladesh to develop the National Neonatal Health Strategy.