A study emphasized on creating awareness among policy makers, practitioners and community level to prevent Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country.
The recommendation was made on Thursday at the launching ceremony of the study titled ‘Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW) -2016’ organised by Brac at Brac Center in city’s Mohakhali area.
The founder of Gonoswasthaya Kendra Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Associate Scientist of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, (icddr,b) Dr Aliya Naheed were present, among others, with Brac representative Simin Mahmud in the chair.
The report made five suggestions to combat the NDCs, including developing an integrated multi-sectoral approach with health ministry, strengthening the health system at grassroots levels, developing capacity at primary healthcare (PHC) level and screening for early diagnosis and to generate evidence for delivering preventive and curative NCD services.
The report identified three major challenges for the health system – to mainstream NCD service provision at the PHC level, establish a regulatory framework and create coordination at the national level to control tobacco and drug consumption and set up a comprehensive NCD surveillance system
The study also discussed the epidemiology of different NCDs which identifies various risk factors and focused on four major NDCs -cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.
It also reviewed the current health system’s limitations for the management of the NDCs.
The objective of BHW is to improve health of the people by way of monitoring progress in the health of the population and health systems and playing a catalytic role in making lasting changes in the health sector.
