Reza Mahmud :
The ongoing crisis of shortages in free contraceptive supplies at both field and central levels has put the vital government programme aimed at controlling birth rates and reducing maternal and infant mortality at significant risk, experts warn.
For the past eight months, the government of Bangladesh, in collaboration with 11 donor organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), has faced a severe crisis.
Sources from the concerned office report an acute shortage of essential birth control products such as condoms, pills, and injections, affecting availability from field levels to central offices.
According to sources within the Directorate General of Family Planning, the stock of the most popular contraceptive pills is nearly exhausted in most upazilas.
This scarcity has created substantial uncertainty regarding the continuity of the birth control programme.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former adviser of the World Health Organisation (WHO), commented, “It has been known that field-level family planning offices, including upazila hospitals, are suffering from severe shortages of free contraceptives, a situation that remains unresolved.”
“These contraceptives are crucial not only for limiting population growth but also for preventing the transmission of many sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS,” he added.
The professor said, “It is a must to address the crisis as soon as possible to avoid the threat of closing the imperative programme.”
Sources stated that more than half of upazilas in the country are lacking in stock of family planning materials, condoms, pills, injections, and maternal and child health medicines. As a result, there is a fear that the common people of the country will be deprived of these urgent services.
An official who prefers anonymity said that several items are nearly zero in stock, while some items are at the end of their stock.
“There have been no injections or pills in our office in the last four months. Besides, stocks of condoms are also nearly ending,” a district-level officer from Manikgonj said.
Meanwhile, Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry Abdus Salam Khan said, “The ministry has learned about the stock crisis of free contraceptives and is trying to address the crisis as soon as possible.” Contd on page-2 Col-
Meanwhile, Motiur Rahman, Director of the Directorate General of Family Planning, hoped the crisis would be reduced with new supplies by this June.
Sources said that the current stock of family planning products at the upazila level showed that there are no condoms in 349 upazila stores; 97 upazilas will soon be out of stock. And 22 Upazila stores have a minimum stock.
38 upazila stores have no pills (sukhi), 105 upazila stores will go out of stock very quickly, and 207 upazila stores have minimum stock. 67 upazila stores have no food pills (Apan), 102 upazila stores will go out of stock very quickly, and 99 upazila stores have minimum stock. 298 upazila stores have no injection, 155 upazila stores will go out of stock very quickly, and 33 upazila stores have minimum stock.
The field-level officials and the eligible people expressed anxiety over the acute crisis of free contraceptives and urged the government to address it soon.