More than 86,000 babies were born in the public medical college hospitals and a health institute in the country last year, according to this year’s local health bulletin published by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of them, 5,055 babies were stillborn, and among the live births, 7,746 babies died within the first 28 days and 8,142 died within a year.
The statistics were collected from the 13 public medical college hospitals across the country, and the Institute of Child and Mother Health, Rajshahi (ICMHR).
Dr Abu Zafar Md Musa, director of primary health care at the DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune that the data for the bulletin was collected, via the management information system department, from the district and upazila health complexes as well.
Health experts will verify the data, he said.
About the number of neonatal death – death of babies within 28 days of birth – Dr Musa said: “We have taken certain steps to reduce the neonatal death rate.”
According to the bulletin, the highest number of live birth was 12,576 at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), while the lowest was 1,901 at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital had the highest number of stillbirths, while ICMHR had the lowest.
The highest number of neonatal death was 1,689, out of 9,329 live births, at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Shahid Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital had the lowest number of neonatal death 32, out of 2,214 live births.
The highest number of infant deaths was 1,546 out of 12,576 live birth at the CMCH, and the lowest was 31 out of 4,313 live births at the DMCH.
The highest number child deaths under five years of age was 2,401 at the CMCH. And the lowest was 48 at Shahid Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
The bulletin also provides information on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI).
IMCI is an integrated approach to child health focusing on a child’s whole well-being, aiming to reduce death, illness and disability, and to promote improved growth and development among children under five years of age.
According to the bulletin, the highest number of children given IMCI treatment was 48,130 at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, and the lowest was 2,538 at the DMCH.