COUNTRY STRATEGY(IES) AND POLICIES

This project directly supports DFID’s focus on reducing deaths in childbirth and overall support for RMNCH (Bangladesh operational plan, 2011-2015). The project is aligned with DFID’s support for basic social services, in particular to improve maternal health, including through continued support for civil society provision for the poorest and most marginalised. The project supports DFID’s focus on improving the social status of women, especially relating to reproductive health and DFID’s specific focus on ensuring that 1.2m births will be assisted by 2015. Through the women’s groups and community health committees and clinics we will also include information on vouchers for poor pregnant women to deliver in facilities (supported by DFID). Our scientifically proven and published evidence base also supports DFID’s focus on scaling up tried and tested approaches and modalities. Data from the 2010 Bangladesh maternal mortality survey show significant progress over the last decade and our own data also demonstrates a general increase in institutional deliveries, indicating that some GOB evidence based strategies are working to a certain extent (DFID 2012) (see Section 5.3). The rights-based comprehensive National Maternal Health Strategy (2001) is currently under review, and will be integrated into the third Health Population and Nutrition Sector Development Program (HPNSDP).A maternal health strategy taskforce has been developed, and a series of consultation processes have taken place to draft the new maternal health strategy which is now in its final stages. Learning from the RCT, which this project is based on, has been fed into this consultation process. If the timing of the new maternal health strategy permits we will also endeavour to use learning from this project to inform GOB policy implementation.The current Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) Health Population and Nutrition Sector Development Programme(HPNSDP) (2011-2016)focuses on demand creation and improving access to and utilization of MNCH services to reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly among infants, children and women and improve the nutritional status of women and children. This project supports the delivery of the HPNSDP and we will endeavour to use project learning to influence the development of the post 2016 HPNSDP where possible. In 2009 the National Neonatal Health Strategy and Guidelines (NNHS) were developed under the stewardship of the MOHFW, underscoring the GOB’s commitment to achieve MDG 4. This strategy acts as the GOB framework for strengthening neonatal services to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity. PCP chaired one of the NNHS working groups, and this project’s focus on newborns will support its delivery.