Cox’s Bazar, 19 October 2025
In Cox’s Bazar, every birth is a delicate balance between hope and danger. For mothers like Ansar Begum, living in the world’s largest refugee settlement of over one million Rohingya refugees, access to skilled care can mean the difference between life and death. Maternal mortality remains among the highest globally, and every delivery carries a fragile hope.
Targeted interventions are helping to change this picture. Through training for health workers, community engagement, and strengthened health systems supported by WHO and health partners, more women now have access to timely, skilled care. In 2024, the maternal mortality rate in the Rohingya camps fell to 38.98 per 100,000 live births, down from 47.5 in 2023 and 54.78 in 2022, while perinatal mortality declined to 23.6 per 1,000 total births, down from 32.8 in 2023 and 36.2 in 2022 (Health Sector Cox’s Bazar 4W; WHO program data).
Transforming Care, Saving Lives
At the WHO-supported Multidisciplinary Skills Lab at Cox’s Bazar Medical College, doctors, nurses, and midwives practice essential procedures such as newborn resuscitation and postpartum hemorrhage management in a safe, simulated environment. This hands-on training prepares health workers to respond effectively when real-life emergencies arise.
Dr Abida Sultana, working at the PHD Primary Health Centre in Camp 16, shares her experience,
“The first time I faced an emergency delivery, I felt helpless. A baby was not breathing, and I didn’t know what to do. Today, after WHO’s training, I can act quickly. That newborn is alive, and so is the mother.”
Since 2023, over 300 health workers have completed the training and are deployed across 45 health facilities, contributing directly to measurable reductions in maternal and perinatal deaths.
"The training gives us confidence. When emergencies happen, we don’t panic, we act," Dr Abida adds, describing a recent delivery where rapid action saved both mother and child.
/countries/bangladesh/dr-abida-assisted-by-colleague--applies-her-new-skills-to-care-for-a-newborn.jpg?sfvrsn=b46e0762_3 "Dr Abida assisted by colleague, applies her new skills to care for a newborn")
Dr Abida, assisted by colleague, applies her new skills to care for a newborn turning training into action that saves life.
Photo Credit: WHO/Terence Ngwabe Che
Tools for Safer Motherhood
WHO promotes continuity of care through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook, which tracks women from pregnancy through early childhood. Nearly 290,000 handbooks have been distributed, empowering women to attend antenatal visits, recognize danger signs, and seek timely care.
Mother Ansar reflects,
“Before, I didn’t understand why check-ups mattered. When I had complications, I almost lost my baby. Now I never miss a visit. The handbook helped save my child.”
WHO also uses Social Autopsy tools to examine the social and behavioral causes of maternal and newborn deaths. Findings show that delays in seeking or reaching care account for over half of maternal deaths, guiding awareness campaigns, referral improvements, and emergency preparedness strategies.
Partnering with Traditional Birth Attendants
Recognizing the critical role of traditional birth attendants (TBAs), WHO engages them through orientation sessions to encourage safer delivery practices and timely referrals.
Fatema, a TBA, shares,
“Before, many women delivered at home. I watched babies die that could have been saved. Now I encourage families to go to clinics, and we’ve seen lives saved every week.”
This collaboration bridges the gap between communities and health facilities, ensuring more women access skilled care when it matters most.
/countries/bangladesh/ansar-begum-holds-her-newborn-baby-at-a-health-facility.jpg?sfvrsn=aea128fe_4 "Ansar Begum holds her newborn baby at a health facility")
Ansar Begum holds her newborn baby at a health facility in Cox’s Bazar after a safe delivery supported by WHO-trained midwives.
Photo Credit: WHO/Terence Ngwabe Che
Building Resilient Health Systems
Graduates of the Skills Lab strengthen 45 health facilities by improving emergency response, patient care, and teamwork. Combined with community outreach, health worker training, infection prevention, and vaccination campaigns, these efforts have restored service utilization to pre-pandemic levels and reduced preventable newborn deaths.
Dr Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, emphasizes,
“Investing in the capacity of frontline workers is an investment in the health and dignity of mothers and children. Support from Sida is transforming fragile services into stronger, more resilient systems.”
A Future of Hope
For Dr Abida, Ansar, Fatema, and countless others, the change is deeply personal. Holding a healthy newborn after a safe delivery, Dr Abida reflects:
“They survived because we knew what to do. That’s what this training means to us.”
With ongoing support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, WHO and partners continue to train health workers, engage communities, and strengthen health systems, ensuring safer childbirth and a healthier start for every child in Cox’s Bazar.
For more information on this publication, please email Terence Ngwabe Che, External Communications Officer at WHO Cox’s Bazar Office, Bangladesh, at chet@who.int