SHARE Bangladesh - Highlighted Activities in 2019

Highlighted Activities of SHARE Project in 2019

Dhaka holds 2^nd International Symposium on Community Health Workers 2019:

icddr,b organised the 2^nd International Symposium on ‘Community Health Workers 2019’ on 22-24 November 2019 in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of Bangladesh; BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH) and Save the Children, Bangladesh at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The theme of the symposium was ‘Potentials of Community Health Workers in Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the Context of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)’. CHW Programmes in LMIC’s, CHWs and UHC, CHWs in Special Situations and CHW Programmes and Prevention and Control of NCDs were four sub-themes. The Dhaka symposium represents a renewed, re-energised vision and engagement of the community health workers to act and deliver interventions that would address emerging challenges of non-communicable diseases.

The symposium had 4 plenary sessions, 20 parallel sessions, 8 panel sessions and 4 side sessions including a pre-event organised by USAID. Total 100 oral presentations and 41 posters were presented in different sessions. Approximately 512 participants from 35 countries have registered in the symposium including community health workers from the rural areas.

8 keynote speeches were presented by Prof Danial Redpath, Senior Director, Health Systems and Populations Studies Division (HSPSD), icddr,b, Dr Makhduma Nargis, Vice Chairperson, Community Clinic Health Support Trust, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Bangladesh, Md Humayun Kabir, Senior Strategic and Technical Advisor, MEASURE Evaluation, Bangladesh, Dr Mushtaque Chowdhury, Former Vice Chair and Executive Director, BRAC, Bangladesh, Dr Timothy Grant Evans, Director and Associate Dean of the School of Population and Global Health (SPGH), Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Canada, Kyle Muther, Director, Advisory Engagements, Last Mile Health, USA, Dr Rory Nefdt, Senior Advisor Health, Child and Community Health, UNICEF, New York.

In the closing session, “Bangladesh National Strategy for Community Health Workers (2019-2030)” was unveiled, which was developed under the leadership MOHFW, with support from Save the Children Bangladesh, USAID, UNICEF and WHO.

The symposium is also supported by the USAID, European Union, UKaid, MSH, Vital Strategies, BRAC, UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO.

Mr. Zahid Maleque, MP, the Honourable Minister, MoHFW was the Chief Guest of closing ceremony while Professor Dr Syed Modasser Ali, Chairman, Community Clinic Health Support Trust, MoHFW, Bangladesh was the chief guest in the inauguration ceremony and he officially inaugurated the Symposium.

Mr. Md. Ashadul Islam, Secretary, Health Services Division, MoHFW, Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, DGHS, MoHFW, Bangladesh and Mr. Kazi A K M Mohiul Islam, Director General, Directorate General of Family Planning, MoHFW, Bangladesh and Dr John D Clemens, Executive Director at icddr,b spoke in the occasion.

On the closing session, Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General (Admin), DGHS, MoHFW, Bangladesh summarised all the presentations and posters and presented major recommendations altogether. She stressed that, “Community Health Workers (CHWs) should be engaged in prevention & control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) especially in urban settings where the burden of NCD is high.  The Linkage between CHW programmes and the national health systems should be established and Government should have ownership of all CHW programmes, as key recommendations from the symposium.”

Dr Iqbal Anwar, Scientist and Project Director, icddr,b gave the welcome speech. The symposium has received unprecedented interest from participants around the world. Among others, Dr Seharla Abdulahi, State Minister of Health-Operation, Ethiopia also participated in the symposium.

Health Policy Dialogue’ a health sector think tank held discussion on inequitable distribution of medical doctors:

The Health Policy Dialogue (HPD) - a think tank initiative in the health sector of Bangladesh held its 4th policy dialogue with health professionals, policy makers, practitioners and representatives from government, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and media at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka on July 20, 2019. The discussion titled ‘Equitable Distribution of Medical Doctors for Strengthening Universal Health Coverage (UHC)’ sought practical solutions to overcome the challenges and achieve UHC in Bangladesh.

Which in turn will be shared with policy makers to enable them formulate evidenced-based policy. Dr. Iqbal Anwar, Scientist and Project Director, SHARE Project, Universal Health Coverage Programme at icddr,b highlighted the situation of health workforce distribution in Bangladesh in his keynote presentation. He has presented several setbacks of the existing health system. The Chief Guest of the dialogue was Dr. Prof. Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, DGHS and Dr. M. A. Faiz, Professor of Medicine, Member of Health Policy Dialogue and Ex- Director General of DGHS, MoHFW chaired the programme. The dialogue was organized by Strengthening Health, Applying Research Evidence (SHARE) project of icddr,b, supported by European Union. Along with EU, the event was supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

SHARE Project hold ‘Discussion and Premiere Ceremony of Documentary Films on Prevention of Non Communicable Diseases among Urban Adolescents’:

SHARE project of icddr,b in collaboration with University College London (UCL), UK, organised a public engagement event named ‘Discussion and Premiere Ceremony of Documentary Films on Prevention of Non Communicable Diseases among Urban Adolescents’ on August 5, 2019 at Sasakawa Auditorium, icddr,b.

The collaboration has initiated a public engagement programme with school students and the production of   two documentary films where students themselves were behind the cameras. The film ‘The Dhaka Diaries’ engaged students of the IPH School and College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, while ‘The Food Diaries’ engaged students of the Perse School (Cambridge) and the Cayley School (London). The students captured their everyday environments to share their own perspectives on how these are driving unhealthy diets.

Professor Sarah Hawkes of Global Public Health, Institute for Global Health, UCL spoke about the determinants of what adolescents eat. She said, “In Bangladesh, as in much of the world, living environments, cities and diets are changing, and the risk of longer term, chronic illnesses are increasing, driven in part by changing diets. Simply equipping young people with knowledge of healthier diets is not sufficient for preventing ill health. In environments with pervasive advertising, low quality fast-food and a lack of healthy options, young people have limited choice when it comes to healthy diets. There is a clear need to regulate advertising, support healthy food options and create living environments where it is easy, not difficult, to be healthy.”

The Honourable Mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Md. Atiqul Islam was the Chief Guest of the event, he stressed on the Sustainable Development Goal 3 which is ‘good health and well-being’, he said, “DNCC would like to work closely with non- communicable disease initiative of the government, icddr,b and other organisations to undertake behaviour change campaign in order to increase awareness related to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and kidney disease. I will make digital board placed in DNCC’s markets available for disseminating healthy lifestyle promoting messages.”

Mr. Syed Monjurul Islam, Deputy Executive Director of icddr,b was the Chairperson as well as Prof. Dr. A.H.M. Enayet Hossain, Additional Director General of Health Services (Planning and Development) and Line Director, NCD, DGHS, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) and Freedom Fighter A.K.M. Jashimuddin, Chairperson, IPH School and College, Dhaka were the special guests of that ceremony. In addition, Dr. Shams El Arifeen, Senior Director, Maternal & Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dr. Iqbal Anwar, Project Director of SHARE and Scientist, icddr, b was present at the event.