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Article Title: Role of Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UH and FWC) to Promote Maternal Education and Reduce Child Mortality Rate in Bangladesh
by Md.Assraf Seddiky and Sheikh Tawhida Rahman

Abstract:
Bangladesh has made a remarkable progress in achieving certain goals related to child health, family planning and maternal health indicators in the last three decades. A union-level health and family welfare center is provided the first contact between the people and the maternal health care system and is the nucleus of primary health care delivery. The prime aim of this study is to explore the contribution of union health and family welfare center fostering maternal education and reducing child mortality rate in Bangladesh. It is an exploratory- descriptive research. This study is conducted following both qualitative and quantitative approach based on primary and secondary data. To validate survey data methodological triangulation has been applied in this study. One hundred and ten respondents have been selected from Tuker Bazar union, Sylhet, Bangladesh as sample population of this study employing simple random sampling method. Primary data has been collected from the respondents through face to face interview applying semi-structured (both open and closed ended) questionnaire. Besides interview, observation and case studies have been considered as the most important and befitting data collection tools for this study. Secondary data collected from different published books, journals, reports by academics and regular internet surfing has been done to get update information regarding the purpose of this study. Study findings reveal that in spite of having some limitations union health and family welfare center is contributing a lot regarding maternal and neonatal care in rural Bangladesh. The study brings exclusive importance as it reflects the health seeking behavior of the rural people and institutional weakness to ensure proper health care facilities for rural women and children in Bangladesh. The drawbacks outlined in this research would be the target line and collaborative endeavors eliminating these limitations along with the strategies for promoting this fundamental human right would impact positively on the rural health sector. So, maternal and child mortality rate will be reduced dramatically in Bangladesh; because maternal education leads to better human, social and cultural capital among mothers which is associated with improved child survival. The researchers believed that the study findings would hopefully be guidelines for future researchers who wish to conduct research on this issue from different angles and calling attention to the policy makers regarding this issue.

Keywords: UH&FWC, maternal education, maternal health, maternal mortality, child mortality, neonatal, superstitions, health awareness.

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