Enhancing public awareness has become vital to help all children in learning swimming to reduce deaths from drowning in Bangladesh where 16,000 people die annually from drowning incidents.
Government officials and UNICEF representatives made these observations at the closing cum prize distribution function of a swimming competition held at the Government Staff Quarter Pond premises in Kurigram district town this afternoon.
The ‘SOPNOKURI’ Resource Center of Kurigram Deputy Commissioner’s Office with UNICEF support organised the competition participated by 70 school students from different educational institutions of the district.
Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Sultana Pervin inaugurated the event and distributed prizes among the winners as the chief guest.
Rangpur and Rajshahi Divisional Chief of UNICEF Najibullah Hameem spoke as the special guest.
Civil Surgeon of Kurigram Aminul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner Hafizur Rahman and UNICEF officials also spoke.
Najibullah Hameem laid emphasis on enhancing child safety programmes since their childhood citing that drowning is a leading cause of child mortality in Bangladesh.
“Over 16,000 children die from drowning in Bangladesh annually with 40 children a day on an average,” he said quoting the survey report of Bangladesh Demographic Health of 2016.
He reiterated UNICEF support for ensuring child and women wellbeing and safety issues in the district in collaboration with Kurigram district administration.
Thanking the UNICEF for extending continuous support to Kurigram people, Sultana Pervin stressed on joint efforts to improve living standard of under-privileged women and children in the district.
She noted that the UNICEF supported ‘SOPNOKURI’ center has started promoting community and stakeholder dialogues and coordinating awareness raising programmes on health, nutrition, education, safe internet, child safety and ending harmful social practices like child labour and child marriage that still prevail in the district.
“Established with the motto of Never Stop Dreaming, Unveil Your Potentials” the center has started imparting age-appropriate job skills, business and entrepreneurial skills to thousands of local unemployed youths,” she added.
She assured UNICEF of extending her continuous assistance in promoting awareness enhancing programmes on women and children issues and helping young boys and girls in learning swimming in the district.
(BSS)
