SMC observed World Population Day - 2020 in MISHD Intervention Areas
The World Population Day (WPD) was observed on July 11, 2020 across the globe in the midst of the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) observed the day in a befitting manner led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). The MOHFW observed this year’s WPD on virtual platforms across the country following the national theme “gnvgvwi †KvwfW-19 †K cÖwZ‡iva Kwi, bvix I wK‡kvix‡`i my¯^v‡¯’¨i AwaKvi wbwðZ Kwi“.in accordance with the global theme “Putting the brakes on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now.” Stressing the need and importance of the theme, SMC’s community mobilization program ‘Notun Din’ commemorated the day in its intervention areas, adhering to World Health Organization and GoB recommended health related guidelines. Major objectives in this regard were to raise awareness about reproductive health, vulnerabilities of women and girls during the pandemic, their health rights and healthy well-being. On this occassion, implementing partners of SMC’s Marketing Innovations for Sustainable Health Development (MISHD) program organized special courtyard meetings and discussion sessions with the adolescent girls, married women of reproductive age and newlywed couples. The meetings were attended by the prominent members of the community and the elected local government representatives. This year, SMC’s MISHD implementing partner PSTC received the best NGO award from district health & family planning and local government departments in recognition to their outstanding contribution in raising awareness among the intended audience groups on issues relating to family planning, maternal and child health, adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, child marriage, etc. in ten Upazilas of Kishoregonj, Noakhali and Lakshmipur districts.
