A group of international experts will meet today (03) at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) on the occasion of South Asia Day. The focus of discussion will be two Millennium Development Goals. They will consider Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5. First, it will be ‘methodologies in reducing child mortality,’ and, next, ‘improving maternal health.’The aim of the South Asia Day is to show and inform people about the fast growing importance of South Asia in our modern world. Cultural, political, economic and social aspects are themes under discussion. The South Asia Day is organized mainly for scientists, journalists, students and business people. However, even for the common citizen in the South Asian Region, it became an opportunity to meet and discuss their experiences.
An estimated 187,000 women die every year at childbirth in South Asia. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable. The aim of Millennium Development Goal 5 is to reduce maternal death rates by 75% by 2015, and yet a great deal of change is still needed.
‘The RCOG is represented in the South Asia Region by committees in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The region has about 1200 RCOG fellows and members and over 30,000-40,000 obstetrical and gynecological specialists. It is essential to bridge this link and work together,” Professor Alokendu Chatterjee, Chief Convenor and past Chair of the RCOG All India Coordinating Committee, said.(JS)
Courtesy: Government Information Department
