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Birth helpers impact death tolls - 21st April 2025

Maternal mortality figures are in steady decline in Bangladesh thanks to a scheme involving women as Skilled Birth Attendants. With a 2022 governmental report acknowledging that 30 percent of pregnant women have no recourse to healthcare professionals during delivery, the attendants' pivotal role has been foregrounded.

Skilled Birth Attendants strive to support women throughout pregnancy. Having undergone several months training, they're involved in delivery, and also in pro-actively screening potential mothers ahead of their due date. As a consequence, they're equipped to refer women with high-risk pregnancies to hospitals further afield.

Nargis Akhter's a Skilled Birth Attendant who's been putting her skills to good use over the previous five years.

"We classify pregnant women first whether it's a normal pregnancy or a risky pregnancy. Then, if found risky, we tell them not to try for the delivery at home in any way, rather to go to the developed hospitals at Upazila level or district level. Sometimes, I take them to those hospitals myself."

The last two decades have witnessed a pronounced fall in mortality rates, states the World Health Organization. For women, the number's dwindled by 72 percent, dropping to 123 deaths per 100,000 births, whereas for infants, the total's fallen to 20 deaths per 100,000 births, a reduction of 69 percent.

Doctor and local health officer Abdullahel Maruf is justifiably sanguine.

"And per year we are achieving 6 percent less maternal deaths. And if we follow this trend or a bit better, then we can surely achieve SDG [Sustainable Development Goal] in our scheduled time or tentative time by 2030."

For mothers-to-be based in rural localities, a governmental push to champion regional health clinics as the safer option for childbirth is also contributing to declining death tolls. One such beneficiary is Mafia, who tragically lost her first baby, but who now cradles her newborn after having successfully sought support from both Nargis and the clinics.

"My first delivery was at home, by the midwives. They don't have all the facilities with them. They try their best with whatever they have. My first baby died because of time. If the delivery could have been made on time, maybe she would've survived."