Addressing the concluding session of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at Agra, he said the health sector needs constant investment to achieve the targets outlined in the MDG.

Dr Mosharraf said health service is a basic requirement of the people and from this point of view, the indicators mentioned in the MDGs are not new. "But, it is very crucial and difficult to make the health services available, provide constant service to people and implement the programmes under MDGs," he said.

He said the indicators mentioned in the MDG are the revised texts of the ICPD goals. "Reduction of mother and child mortality rate" and "Education for All" have been set out as one of the main goals both in ICPD and MDG, he said.

He said meaningful exchange of experiences among the members of Partners in Population and Development (PPD), formed to strengthen the south-south cooperation, may bring fruitful results for development of the sector.

Pointing out the position of Bangladesh so far as mother and child mortality rate is concerned, he said fatality rate of infants has been reduced by 20 percent and below 5-year children by 6 percent over the last five years.

To achieve the target set by the MDG, Bangladesh needs to cut down child mortality rate by 4.3 percent against its existing rate of 4.1 percent.

Dr Mosharraf said Bangladesh has prepared a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in coordination with its population programmes and poverty alleviation plans. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has come down to 3 percent at present in Bangladesh from 6.3 percent in 1975.

Chairman of PPD and Chinese Planning Minister Zhang Weiging presided over the concluding session while Indian Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss and Deputy Director of UNFPA Kunio Waki, spoke.

The conference ended with adoption of Delhi Declaration on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health.