Questions/Answers

With the help of the district administration and implementation of the District Family Planning Department, the online monitoring software (www.pregnantmothercare.gov.bd) program to ensure safe maternity and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates started experimentally on 05/06/2017 at Lakshmipur Model Union in Sadar Upazila, Chandpur, Bangladesh. This program was launched to ensure maternal and child health in a digital process beyond the traditional system. It involves a field worker visiting home, collecting information from pregnant mothers and periodically informing them about essential services and uploading that information to the software. All information uploaded is periodically monitored by Upazila Family Planning Officer, Medical Officer (MCH-FP), Deputy Director, Family Planning, Chandpur and Deputy Commissioner. All information in the software is displayed with color code. At the field level, Family Welfare Assistants primarily upload the collected data to software via electronic devices (smart phones, tabs, laptops, etc.). The Family Welfare Assistants and Upazila Family Planning Officers and Medical Officers (MCH-FP) provide regular follow-up by direct communication or mobile phone, up to 14 days before Expected Delivery Date and also uploads the information to the software. At this stage, field workers and officers provide antenatal services, institutional delivery services and necessary advice to those receiving services. Subsequent delivery services and postpartum intensive follow-up up to 72 hours after delivery and regularly uploads all the information to the software. The project was expanded to 10 unions in 8 Upazilas of Chandpur district. Up to the present time, the program has been running successfully and the software is up and running .

Our goal is to make service delivery easier through the use of information technology so that service providers can provide services easily.Our national plan is to reduce maternal mortality rate from 169 to 70 by 2030 and reduce neonatal mortality rate from 18 to 12. Our exceptional initiative is in line with the national plan.In addition, our activities are being carried out in accordance with the SDG's goal 3(3.1 and 3.2).In line with this goal, initiatives initiated to ensure safe motherhood locally and to prevent maternal and neonatal mortality and to ensure maternal and child health in a digital process.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced by the United Nations, known as the Global Goals or Agenda. The target has been set to create a poverty-free, hunger-free world by the 21st and to maintain global peace and prosperity. SDG came into effect from January 2016, which will last for 15 years up to 2030. At SDG, we have a total of 17 goals and 167 target under quantitative and qualitative criteria. Bangladesh is one of the developing countries who are politically committed to achieving and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are at 3 of the new SDG targets. Target 3.1 is to reduce maternal mortality rate has dropped to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Target 3.2 is to reduce preventive mortality rate by 2030 is below 12 or 12 per 1 (thousand) live births for newborns & child mortality rate is to reduce by 2030 is below 25 or 25 per 1 thousand live births.Our goal is to make service delivery easier through the use of information technology so that service providers can provide easy service and service users can easily access services and we can achieve the target(SDG 3.1, 3.2) easily according to our national plan.

In Chandpur district as the only district of Bangladesh, maternal mortality and neonatal mortality rates have decreased at a remarkable rate than ever before, with online monitoring software programs to ensure safe motherhood and reduce maternal mortality and neonatal mortality. For this activities institutional delivery has increased, in the project area, the efficiency of the officers and staff working at the field level has been improved. In addition to the traditional methods, the use of information technology in service activities has increased at a remarkable rate. So we can easily say that this activity has socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

Bangladesh is a densely populated country. We are always guaranteed access to a large population through the maximum use of limited manpower.The District Family Planning Department, Chandpur, is thinking of how to provide the services to the mass people through the use of modern information technology beyond the traditional system by a small number of service workers. Therefore, the District Family Planning Department has developed an online monitoring system or digital service management software to ensure safe maternity and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates through which employee management and service management can be monitored on digital systems.The adoption of such activities by local initiatives has added a new dimension to the use of information technology among officers and employees at the field level of this department. Throughout the field, not all employees could use smart electronic devices, they are now uploading information using smart devices. As a result, the efficiency of the officers and employees has increased. Which has improved service delivery and service adoption through the use of technology beyond regular activities.This ensured safe motherhood and increased institutional delivery and reduced maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

Our initiative is a team initiative. The use of information technology beyond the traditional system has added a new dimension to service delivery. Not only do we talk to pregnant mothers about providing our services, they also talk to their husbands and provide various advice on high risk pregnancy, complicated pregnancy & benefit of institutional delivery, adequate rest and necessary financial security for pregnant mothers during pregnancy.Through this they emphasize the importance of mothers or women in the family and the freedom of expression. Husbands are advised about the future of the newborn in the health of the mother.

Chandpur District, as the only district in Bangladesh, has made the highest efforts to ensure maternal and child health care through the adoption of online monitoring software or digital service management activities to ensure safe maternity and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. From the beginning, the program has been working on the health of pregnant mothers and newborns. This program was launched to ensure the health of pregnant mothers, enhance institutional delivery, ensure the well-being of newborns, ensure safe motherhood and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates through the highest use of information technology beyond the traditional system. As a result of this program, the service recipients are enjoying the benefits of availing the service as a result of maintaining regular contact with the service providers, either directly or through the mobile phone, and this has increased the confidence of the people here. The digital monitoring system has increased the number of services available to pregnant mothers, such as pregnancy services, delivery services, antenatal services, postpartum services, newborn vaccine management. As a result, safe maternal health has been greatly ensured and maternal and newborn deaths are reduced compared to before. Our activities are consistent with the SDGs 3.1 &3.2.

Family Planning Office,Chandpur launched a software based on maternal and child health services named www.pregnantmthercare.gov.bd. It involves a field worker visiting home, collecting information from pregnant mothers and periodically informing them about the services needed and uploading all that information to the software. The software primarily includes details of the pregnant woman, name of the husband, age, number of children, number of pregnancies, last menstrual date, number of dead births, abortion, child status during last delivery, mobile number, date of possible delivery, 72 hours follow-up information including real delivery date is uploaded.The project started experimentally at Lakshmipur Model Union in Chandpur Sadar Upazila on 05/06/2017. Subsequently, the project was expanded to 10 unions in 8 upazilas of Chandpur district at the end of successful experimental activities. The program has been running successfully till the present time period. Family welfare assistants primarily upload the collected data to software via electronic devices (smart phones, tabs, laptops, etc.). The family welfare assistants and Upazila Family Planning Officers and Medical Officers (MCH-FP) provide regular follow-up by direct communication or mobile phone, up to 14 days before the expected delivery date and uploads the information to the software.At this stage, field workers and officers provide antenatal services, institutional delivery services and necessary advice to those receiving services. Subsequent delivery services and postpartum intensive follow-up up to 72 hours and regularly uploads all the information to the software.All data uploaded at the upazila level is re-verified. At the district level, the Deputy Director, Family Planning, Chandpur and Deputy Commissioner, Chandpur regularly monitor all these information. All information in the software is displayed with color code. The system instructs us to complete the task by displaying a red signal if it is not working at a given time.

Our first goal was to deliver the services available to service users through the maximum utilization of limited resources by a small number of workers. For this, we generate a system using information technology so that we can easily serve the people. Most of the field workers are accustomed to the traditional method. They were not aware of the use of information technology. Our challenge was to encourage field staff to use information technology. For this purpose, we first provide training to all about the software and information technology so that they can easily manage the program.

At the field level of the Family Planning Department, service personnel usually serve in the traditional way. The only family planning department, Chandpur has transformed the service into a digital system at the field level. This method utilizes information technology in digital service management. Due to this, it is possible to reach the people very fast. As a result, manpower is becoming less demanding and less timely and low cost service is possible. In an over-populated country like Bangladesh, the service activities mentioned by the low-service personnel through the use of information technology have brought a new innovation to all.

The government of Bangladesh always encourages and promotes innovative activities. Innovative activities are being conducted at different stages of the present government and the government provides training at various times to carry out such activities. From there, we take this inspiration from our innovative, digital service management beyond traditional methods.

So far, our activities are being carried out at district level. At the Family Planning Department, initiatives have been taken to implement this innovation at the regional level or nationwide.

So far, our activities are being carried out at district level. At the Family Planning Department, initiatives have been taken to implement this innovation at the regional level or nationwide. We have been contacted for implementation of this program at the Directorate level. The initiative is intended to be implemented within a short time by modifying the software for proper implementation at regional or nationwide.

Digital Service Management ‍system invented by District Family Planning Department, Chandpur called online monitoring software to ensure safe motherhood and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates has been adopted. This is done by the regular officers and employees of the District Family Planning Department. They have just been trained on this software and information technology locally. District Family Planning Department has collected the cost of making the software on a local initiative.

In the traditional way, our field workers serve pregnant mothers from house to house.It takes up to 1-3 months to reach a pregnant mother. The activities mentioned are very time and labor intensive. It costs employees more money. But with this innovative initiative it is possible to deliver all services and advice's to pregnant mothers in short time and short labor. It has been easier for the service recipients to receive services, as well as to provide services to the service personnel. As a result, everyone is encouraged towards digital service management. In this case, this is a sustainable initiative.

Yes

The Ministry of Public Administration, District Administration Chandpur, Civil Surgeon Chandpur and NGO Sujer Hashi Clinic have verified this activity at the field level and found that the activities mentioned are being very well managed by their own service staff with very real consent and use of information technology. They all collected information at the field level and spoke to the service recipient, service worker and they evaluated it. And they have ensured that the initiative is realistic and acceptable to all.

This innovative program is aimed at ensuring safe motherhood and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. At present, maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh is 169 and neonatal mortality rate is 18. According to the SDG, by 2030, we have to reduce maternal mortality to 70 and infant mortality to 12. All the activities of this innovative initiative are being introduced in line with the goal of achieving SDGs. That is, our activities are being identified as contributors to the implementation of SDGs 3.1 and 3.2.

Safe motherhood and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates was a major challenge for us to carry out online monitoring software or digital service management initiatives. The challenge is to provide electronic device accessibility, information technology or software training for conducting activities in the traditional way beyond the traditional system.But with the help of the officers and staff at the upazila level, we were able to overcome those problems and carry out innovative activities.The implementation of the program has been very fruitful due to the proper training of officers and employees of all levels. At the field level, the service providers have been able to easily reach the people they need. Beyond the traditional approach, digital system initiatives have been accepted by all. Providing timely and proper service has increased institutional delivery and safe motherhood has been ensured to a great extent. As a result, maternal and neonatal deaths have decreased substantially compared to before. The evaluation of all valuation agencies, including the Public Administration Ministry, the District Administration, the Civil Surgeon, showed that the innovative work was substantially realistic and promising.

Department of Family Planning is to work on various family planning methods in Bangladesh and to ensure maternal and child health services.The government appoints officers and employees at various levels to carry out these tasks. We are planning to manage all these functions of the government in a digital process, in the best way possible. District family planning department Chandpur has developed an online monitoring software or digital service management system to ensure safe maternity and reduce maternal and infant mortality. As a result, it is possible to monitor all these activities in a digital manner, including providing services to pregnant mothers at the field level and providing services to the departmental officers and staff. As a result, giving and receiving services has been much easier and faster than before and safe motherhood has been largely ensured and maternal and neonatal mortality has decreased compared to before. The initiative plays a helpful role in implementing the government's commitment to service recipients. The initiative did not require additional staffing and the government did not spend any extra money. Regular field workers of the government are implementing this initiative properly.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced by the United Nations, known as the Global Goals or Agenda. Bangladesh is one of the developing countries who are politically committed to achieving and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the new targets for the SDGs we are at 3 (3.1 & 3.2), which is a clear indicator of Safe Motherhood Assurance and reduction of maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and infant mortality. Innovative programs on digital services management are being conducted properly to ensure safe motherhood and prevent maternal and neonatal mortality, with the implementation of the District Family Planning Department to achieve sustainable development goals. Which is playing an important role in supporting the government as well as supporting activities in achieving the SDGs. The program is being implemented directly by the field worker of the family planning department. It involves a field worker visiting home, collecting information from pregnant mothers and periodically informing them about the services needed and uploading all that information to the software. All information uploaded is monitored by the Upazila Family Planning Officer, Medical Officer (MCH-FP), Deputy Director, Family Planning, Chandpur and Deputy Commissioner, Chandpur.

Training and re-training of the concerned officers and staff is being implemented to ensure proper implementation of the online monitoring system on digital service management to ensure safe maternity and prevent maternal and neonatal deaths. The innovative program is being constantly updated with the advice of all concerned. The success of the experimental program is being enhanced in action. Maternal and neonatal mortality has declined as a result of such activities as safe motherhood ensured. Also, the efficiency of the concerned officers and employees is improving and the use of information technology is increasing. The use of information technology has been ensured by almost 100% of all officers and personnel concerned. Due to the proper implementation of the mentioned activities, institutional delivery has increased, maternal and neonatal mortality has decreased considerably.