Maternal and Neonatal Health.qxp

With impressive progress made in recent years, Bangladesh is one of few developing countries on track to achieve Millennium Development Goal 4 to reduce child mortality. Between 2004 and 2007 child mortality has fallen from 88 per 1,000 live births to 65 per 1,000 live births. However, despite this encouraging trend, neonatal mortality in Bangladesh is still high, accounting for more than half of all under-five deaths and more than twothirds of infant deaths. An estimated 120,000 newborns die every year in Bangladesh. The share of neonatal deaths to infant mortality has increased over the period 2002-2006, largely because there has been little progress in preventing neonatal deaths. Poor neonatal health and under-nutrition of both mothers and children could affect the current success in improving child survival.