Pakistan Today (Lahore)

Bangladesh’s community clinic-based health system

It has won internatio­nal appreciati­on

- Sufian Siddique The writer is a freelance columnist

Wars and conflicts are increasing worldwide. But Bangladesh is better than other countries, it must be admitted. In terms of infrastruc­ture, Bangabandh­u’s golden Bangladesh has progressed quite a bit overall. The country has been at ease for the past decade and a half under the hands of the current Prime Minister, sheikh Hasina Wazed. Living in a competitiv­e world, the country has achieved a lot in various fields.

In today’s highly competitiv­e world of ‘complex equations’ spreading ‘light’ in various fields is undoubtedl­y a matter of great pride and ecstasy. The recent scene of Prime Minister sheikh Hasina gifting the World Bank with a painting of the Bengali dream of the Padma Bbridge proves that the ‘Bangla Township Light’ has spread to every corner of the world. “Golden harvest” has come to our house in various cases!

The world saw a ‘new surprise’ as soon as the news about this came to an end! recently, for the first time in the United Nations, a resolution on community-based health care was unanimousl­y adopted. The historic resolution titled ‘Community-based Primary Health Care: a Participat­ory and Inclusive approach to achieving Universal Health services’ brought internatio­nal recognitio­n to Prime Minister sheikh Hasina’s outstandin­g innovative leadership in establishi­ng a community clinic-based model of primary health care in Bangladesh through public-private partnershi­p. This achievemen­t is very unique. In the said resolution, the UN member states referred to Prime Minister sheikh Hasina’s successful innovative initiative in establishi­ng community clinics as ‘The sheikh Hasina Initiative’. Needless to say, this recognitio­n successful­ly reflects Bangladesh’s strong commitment to improving public health care and establishi­ng equity in global health care.

Notably, the adoption of this resolution is an unforgetta­ble milestone in the global effort to achieve universal health care by 2030. successful implementa­tion of the resolution will play an important role in improving the health care of billions of people around the world by introducin­g community clinic-based health systems. This recognitio­n of universal health services and the United Nations Developmen­t Goals will also have far-reaching implicatio­ns for internatio­nal cooperatio­n.

It should be remembered that Prime Minister sheikh Hasina launched this unique community clinic-based health system in Bangladesh in 1998 with the aim of bringing all the people of Bangladesh under primary health care. This project has brought a revolution by bringing the benefits of government primary healthcare to the doorsteps of people at the grassroot level across the country. The Prime Minister’s response to this initiative from the very beginning was widely appreciate­d by all sections of the people. World recognitio­n was waiting. In the end, the United Nations itself received praise. How proud this achievemen­t is for the country - only a patriotic Bengali can understand. It has to be said, this recognitio­n in the indomitabl­e developmen­t progress of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister sheikh Hasina will brighten the country’s image in the internatio­nal arena in the coming days.

It should be noted that currently community clinics have made a silent revolution in the health care of the country, especially in the treatment of marginaliz­ed groups. It has changed the overall picture of rural healthcare. There has been a positive improvemen­t in the health care of the country in the past. a recent evaluation report by the World Bank also provides evidence. Child mortality in Bangladesh has decreased by 29 percent. The birth rate has come down to 2.3. The breastfeed­ing rate has increased to 55 percent. The number of children receiving care from skilled health workers in the womb is now 64 percent; The rate of low-birth-weight babies has dropped to 33 percent. The rate of taking care of trained health workers during delivery is 42 percent, the prevalence of contracept­ive use is 62 percent and the prevalence of measles vaccinatio­n is 86 percent. Uptake of all basic vaccines by 23 months is now 84 percent. as the average life expectancy of people in the country has increased with these advances, there has been a massive improvemen­t in the quality of life at the same time.

after independen­ce, there were several obstacles in the health sector of the country. The healthcare sector in today’s Bangladesh has come a long way. Bangladesh has surpassed India, Pakistan, Nepal and many other countries in healthcare. In this regard, community clinics are playing a major role in improving overall health care in the country—this claim has to be acknowledg­ed.

‘Community Clinic’ is undoubtedl­y a big achievemen­t for Bangladesh. This service will likely spread to every corner of the world under the supervisio­n of the United Nations. and indeed, that would be a greater achievemen­t for us. This ‘innovative model’ of Prime Minister sheikh Hasina is likely to spread light globally and take the global health system further.

Âcommunity Clinicê is undoubtedl­y a big achievemen­t for Bangladesh. This service will liklely spread to every corner of the world under the supervisio­n of the United Nations.

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