Experts for stimulation interventions to improve childhood development

Speakers at a workshop in the capital yesterday stressed the need for early stimulation interventions to improve childhood development of children who are at multiple risks, reports UNB.
They observed that a large number of children in Bangladesh is exposed to multiple risk factors in the early years of life, including poor health, malnutrition and low-level of home stimulation.
Community Clinic Project of the Community-Based Health Care (CBHC) and National Nutrition Services under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, and Save the Children in Bangladesh jointly arranged the workshop at Cirdap in the capital. Health secretary Md Sirazul Islam said healthcare is a fundamental human right and the government is working sincerely to promote the healthcare of people in the spirit of social justice.
“We’ve successfully achieved the MDGs (Minimum Development Goals) and now working to achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to ensure healthcare and well-being for all,” he said.
Citing the Bangladesh Demographic & Health Survey 2014, Sirazul Islam said despite all the achievements, child malnutrition rates remain high in Bangladesh while about 36 per cent of under-five children are stunted and 33 percent are underweight. Save the Children country director Mark Pierce said the Early Childhood Stimulation Programme (ECSP) was piloted in 2010 and scaled up in 2014.
 “During the initial pilot, we observed that this model of messaging to caregivers of young children during a clinic or home visit by frontline workers seemed to be cost effective, time effective, and rather simple to scale,” he added.
Mark said young children, aged 0-3, are worth investing in both time and money and more interactions with children make an important impact on their lives.
Director general of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the Directorate General of Family Planning Mohammad Wahid Hossain, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education Md Alamgir and additional secretary of Women and Children Affairs Ministry Mahmuda Sharmeen Benu, among others, spoke at the workshop.
Principal researcher of American Institute for Research Marjorie Chinen made a power-point presentation on the impact evaluation results while deputy country director of Save the Children Dr Ishtiaq Mannan on early childhood development.

Experts for stimulation interventions to improve childhood development

Speakers at a workshop in the capital yesterday stressed the need for early stimulation interventions to improve childhood development of children who are at multiple risks, reports UNB. They observed that a large number of children in Bangladesh is exposed to multiple risk factors in the early years of life, including poor health, malnutrition and low-level of home stimulation. Community Clinic Project of the Community-Based Health Care (CBHC) and National Nutrition Services under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, and Save the Children in Bangladesh jointly arranged the workshop at Cirdap in the capital. Health secretary Md Sirazul Islam said healthcare is a fundamental human right and the government is working sincerely to promote the healthcare of people in the spirit of social justice. Weve successfully achieved the MDGs (Minimum Development Goals) and now working to achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to ensure healthcare and well-being for all, he said. Citing the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2014, Sirazul Islam said despite all the achievements, child malnutrition rates remain high in Bangladesh while about 36 per cent of under-five children are stunted and 33 percent are underweight. Save the Children country director Mark Pierce said the Early Childhood Stimulation Programme (ECSP) was piloted in 2010 and scaled up in 2014. During the initial pilot, we observed that this model of messaging to caregivers of young children during a clinic or home visit by frontline workers seemed to be cost effective, time effective, and rather simple to scale, he added. Mark said young children, aged 0-3, are worth investing in both time and money and more interactions with children make an important impact on their lives. Director general of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the Directorate General of Family Planning Mohammad Wahid Hossain, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education Md Alamgir and additional secretary of Women and Children Affairs Ministry Mahmuda Sharmeen Benu, among others, spoke at the workshop. Principal researcher of American Institute for Research Marjorie Chinen made a power-point presentation on the impact evaluation results while deputy country director of Save the Children Dr Ishtiaq Mannan on early childhood development.