Improving Maternal Health

A number of South Asian countries (such as Nepal and Sri Lanka) with modest economic growth and less amount of investment in human development are able to reduce high maternal mortality rate (MMR) quickly than other countries, including Bangladesh. Comparing success experience of Nepal and Sri Lanka with that of Bangladesh thus emerges as the critical requirement of the hour. The main objective of the article based on secondary sources was therefore to explore the factors that worked behind the relative success in Nepal and Sri Lanka and to compare these factors in the context of Bangladesh. As found, long-term policies, better availability of and accessibility to maternal health care services, strong political will and monitoring system are the contributing factors to the success. It concludes that Bangladesh is able to achieve the sustainable development goal for health if bio-social approach—placing importance to not only medical advancement but also social development—to improve maternal health is followed.