To improve healthcare for Bhutanese women and children across different life stages, including the health of the ageing population, the health ministry launched a new strategy in the capital yesterday. Called the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent plus Health of Ageing Strategy, it is expected to reduce the death of newborns and improve the overall health of mothers and children in the country by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan.
The health ministry has set its goals based on the National Health Survey 2023.
One of the targets is to reduce newborn deaths under the age of five from 19.5 to 15 per 1,000 live births. The ministry also plans to maintain the current hospital delivery rate of over 98 per cent by improving care for mothers before and after childbirth.
Another goal is to decrease the number of caesarean section deliveries from over 29 to less than 15 per cent. The strategy also aims to increase access to basic health services from almost 60 per cent to 67 per cent.
Overall, the strategy not only plans on improving health care services but also on sustaining quality care.
“It tries to understand some of the gaps that we have from the existing fragmented strategies that we have had earlier. So it tries to integrate and build on the insights of the National Health Survey to come up with a comprehensive and cohesive approach to strategies, so that we ensure that there is a continuity of care. As well as with the focus on ensuring to improve the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, as well as the ageing population,” said Karma Tenzin, Programme Officer, NCD Division, MoH.
The ministry also launched the Bhutan Every Newborn Action Plan for 2025 to 2029, building on an earlier plan from 2016 to 2023.
The new plan aims to end preventable deaths of mothers and babies before birth. It also focuses on ensuring that every pregnancy is planned and wanted.
“This plan is like a mother document for all the newborn care activities in the country. It suggests, recommends many action plans to the Ministry of Health on what should be done to improve newborn care services in the country,” said Dr Dinesh Pradhan, Neonatologist, JDWNRH.
The health ministry developed the strategy together with the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
Likewise, the health ministry created the new newborn action plan in collaboration with UNICEF.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sonam Pem
