Save the Children shares experiences in improving healthcare for first-time parents

Couples who are or will be parents for the first time need a clear understanding of postpartum care and postnatal family planning. The international development organisation Save the Children has implemented a project titled 'Shongzog' to increase the rate and quality of postpartum care for First-Time Parents (FTPs) and increase the uptake rate of postnatal family planning methods.

The project closing event was organised by Save the Children at a hotel in the capital today, Wednesday, highlighting the goals, activities, and various achievements of the Shongzog project, says a media release. The seminar stated that the project has played a significant role in achieving Bangladesh's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by improving healthcare for couples who are or will be new parents.

 The closing ceremony of the Shongzog project was attended by  country director of Save the Children in Bangladesh Suman Sengupta, Line Director of MNC & AH, Directorate General of Health Services Dr. S M Abdullah Al Murad,  Director of IEM, DGFP Taslim Uddin Khan, Director and Line Director of Planning Unit of DGFP Sabina Parveen, Director of Finance in DGFP Enamul Haque, Director (Admin) of DGFP Mir Sajedur Rahman and  Director of MCH-Services in DGFP Dr. Md. Sultan Ahmed,

Director General of Directorate General of Family Planning Ashrafi Ahmad was present as the chief guest of this event while line director of CCSDP Unit in DGFP Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam Talukder presided over the event.

Suman Sengupta said, "Shongzog has made a real difference in maternal and child health. Simple actions - like invitation cards for first-time parents and pre-discharge counselling - have had big impacts. With strong partner and government support, I believe this project is ready to scale and become part of our national health system."

In the speech of the chief guest, Dr. Ashrafi Ahmad said, "I'm pleased to see innovative ideas from the Shongzog project, like the PDCC and invitation cards for First-Time Mothers. The research done was insightful and well-grounded. As we move forward, let's focus on improving counselling, addressing early motherhood risks, and motivating our field workers. I hope future projects like Shongzog will expand further and continue to bring new, impactful ideas."

 Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam Talukder, Line Director, CCSDP Unit, DGFP, said in his president's speech, "Unwanted pregnancy remains a serious issue in our country, and Shongzog has given us powerful tools and knowledge to tackle it. My vision is to take this work to every corner of Bangladesh. Together, we can make that happen!"

The Shongzog project, led by the Department of Family Planning, and implemented by Save the Children, has conducted the "Zero Home Delivery" campaign through which the project has worked to ensure institutional deliveries in its work areas and has urged against home deliveries. Another major success of this project of Save the Children is the PNC Pre-Discharge Counseling Checklist, which is being used in government health care centers to improve the quality of post-natal care.

The project was led by the Department of Family Planning in collaboration with Save the Children and the Resource Integration Center (RIC). The Shongzog project has been working in a total of 8 upazilas of Noakhali and Madaripur districts since 2019.