Deputy British High Commissioner and Development Director Matt Cannell on Tuesday said the US and UK are strong allies and they are joining forces to be an even more reliable and effective development partner for Bangladesh.

USAID Bangladesh’s Office of Population, Health and Nutrition’s Deputy Office Director Marvin Crespin-Gamez highlighted how working together, they have seen how the government of Bangladesh has intensified efforts to fulfill its commitment toward ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 by 2030.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British High Commission in Dhaka, jointly with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), co-hosted an event on Tuesday celebrating Bangladesh’s progress over the last decade towards ending preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children.

The 2012 Call to Action was a groundbreaking event that catalyzed a global movement to dramatically improve maternal and child survival, according to Save the Children in Bangladesh.

Following Bangladesh’s Call to Action launch ten years ago, the government reiterated its commitment to end preventable child deaths by 2035 by building on its previous successes in reducing child mortality.

Also Read: Matt Cannell new British deputy high commissioner, development director to Bangladesh

This remains a priority for both USAID and the BHC, as evidenced by the UK’s 2021 Ending Preventable Deaths of Mothers, Babies and Children approach and USAID’s Getting to 2030: Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Technical Roadmap and their annual Acting on the Call reports.

Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain Howlader, Secretary of Health Service Division and Md. Azizur Rahman, Secretary of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) spoke at the event, which was also attended by event development partners, NGOs, and members of academic institutions and professional organizations.

This event was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the Child Survival Call to Action and USAID, UNICEF and the governments of India, Senegal and the United Kingdom co-hosted a global celebration in Washington D.C. the same day.