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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.081737v1 97/7/1186    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jahan, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jahan, R. Related Collections Family Health Health Care Facilities/Services Health Policy

Rounaq Jahan, PhD

The author is with the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Rounaq Jahan, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (email: rj15{at}columbia.edu).

ABSTRACT

During the past decade, there has been a noticeable reduction of maternal mortality in Bangladesh, in part because of government policy and program initiatives. Of particular note is the comprehensive reproductive health strategy adopted in 1996 under the country’s first Health and Population Sector Strategy and the 5-year Health and Population Sector Programme (1998–2003). The latter includes actions in most of the areas recommended in the World Health Organization’s 2004 report, Reproductive Health Strategy to Accelerate Progress Towards the Attainment of International Development Goals and Targets. After assessing Bangladesh’s achievements and challenges in the design and implementation of a maternal health strategy, I concluded that mobilizing and nurturing political will is the key to sustaining policy commitment to comprehensive reproductive health.