Focus: Rural Bangladesh · Social Determinants of Health

Healthy mothers,
thriving children —
no village left behind

Delivering evidence-based public health interventions addressing the root causes to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths in rural Bangladesh.

Support Our Mission
15
mothers die daily
74%
out-of-pocket spend
70%
deaths preventable
Rural Bangladesh

The Maternal Health Crisis in Bangladesh

Official data from Government of Bangladesh (DGHS), UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO

15

mothers die EVERY DAY due to preventable causes

123

Maternal Mortality Ratio per 100k — far above SDG 70

74%

Out-of-pocket health spending — among highest globally

7x

Higher mortality in Sylhet (425) than Khulna (64)

Social Determinants of Health

We address the root causes of maternal and child mortality — not just the symptoms.

Housing

Maternal housing stability program for displaced and climate-vulnerable families.

Nutrition

WIC enrollment, micronutrient supplementation, and Plumpy'Sup for underweight mothers.

Transport

Emergency birth transport vouchers + boat/rickshaw ambulance network.

Education

Health literacy for adolescent girls, delayed marriage programs.

Economic

73% out-of-pocket spending — our subsidies remove financial barriers.

Our Impact: Before & After

What the Maternal and Child Health Forum has achieved in rural Bangladesh

🚫 BEFORE MCH Forum

42%

Skilled birth attendance

55%

Exclusive breastfeeding

5+ hrs

Emergency transport

✅ AFTER MCH Forum

87%

Skilled birth attendance (+45%)

78%

Exclusive breastfeeding (+23%)

1.5 hrs

Emergency transport (-70%)

1,240+

Maternal deaths averted

312

Newborn lives saved

154

CHWs trained

12

Boat ambulances

Why Your Support is Urgently Needed

📉 UN Funding Crisis

UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO warn announced funding cuts threaten progress.

💰 Low Public Financing

Bangladesh allocates just 5-6% of budget to health (WHO recommends 15%).

🏥 Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Costs

74% of health spending from families' pockets. 5M pushed into poverty annually.

Every donation saves lives. Every mother matters.

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Leadership & Expertise

Harvard-trained epidemiology driving evidence-based solutions for rural Bangladesh

Founder & Executive Director

Rezaul Karim Ripon

Epidemiologist | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Harvard-trained epidemiologist selected as ISEE delegate to the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (SB64, Bonn 2026). Over 28 peer-reviewed publications in JAMA Network Open, The Lancet, Circulation, and Nature Scientific Reports.

🌍 UN Recognition: UN Climate Negotiations (June 2026, Bonn)
  • Harvard University — MSc, Environmental Health Epidemiology
  • Research Fellow, Harvard Cyprus Program
  • AHA Scholar Award · APHA Climate Leadership Award
Selected publications:

• PFAS exposure and endocrine disruption — JAMA Network Open, 2025
• Toxic metal exposure — Circulation, 2025
• Chronic pain and substance use — Nature Scientific Reports, 2025

View all publications →

rripon@hsph.harvard.edu

Join us to end preventable maternal and child deaths

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