Bangladesh will launch a nationwide birth control campaign to help reduce population growth, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has said.
Speaking on Monday, the minister said the country's population growth rate had remained at around 3 per cent over the past 10 to 15 years, describing the trend as a cause for concern.
"To reduce this rate to a tolerable level, the government will launch a strong birth control campaign nationwide. The availability of birth control products at the rural level will be restored," he said.
The minister made the remarks while addressing the inauguration of the 'Sustaining Play, Learning and in Humanitarian Contexts' programme, organised by BRAC and the LEGO Foundation at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka.
He also announced plans to establish modern pathological laboratories in upazila hospitals this year to improve disease diagnosis and healthcare services.
"We are going to set up modern pathological laboratories in every hospital this year and we will import the necessary equipment this month," he said.
Sakhawat Husain said the government was also arranging 50 dialysis beds at district medical college hospitals, along with 10 dialysis beds each at district hospitals and upazila hospitals to expand access to dialysis treatment across the country.
Highlighting the development of Bangladesh's healthcare system, he said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman established 31-bed hospitals in every upazila to improve access to medical services. He added that former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia later upgraded those facilities to 50-bed hospitals.
The minister said the government is now modernising upazila hospitals to 101-bed facilities under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
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