SHARE Bangladesh - 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.