UNB, Dhaka :
Terming healthcare as a fundamental right, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that her government would continue its tireless efforts in reaching the healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people.
“Providing healthcare services to the people is a constitutional obligation and her government would do whatever necessary to fulfill this obligation,” she said, formally inaugurating the World Health Day programmes fron the Cabinet Division meeting room at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister talked through Video Conferencing with Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim and State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur, both of whom were in Bandarban.
The World Health Day is being observed in the country in a befitting manner as elsewhere in the globe this year with the theme: Vector Borne Diseases.
Hasina said, Bangladesh has already made commendable achievement in controlling and eradicating vector borne diseases including Malaria, Kala- Azar, Filaria and Dengue,
as her government implemented various effective measures. In this regard, she mentioned the assistance of concerned development partners and the World Health Organization to make the government’s efforts a success.
The Prime Minister said huge number of people – most of them children – die of vector borne diseases across the world.
As a tropical country, Bangladesh is affected by various vector borne diseases, she said, adding that such diseases could sometimes be infected to many people causing death to huge number of them.
Hasina expressed with satisfaction that these diseases are under control following the effective measures of the government through identification of the diseases and ensuring of proper treatment.
Besides, she said, the government has been able to make 15 of the affected 19 districts free from Filaria while dengue fever is now under control in the country.
Mentioning the adverse impact of expansion of trade and commerce, enhancement of communications networks, unplanned urbanization, change of agriculture system, deforestation and corresponding change in the climatic condition, she said these are the prime causes of increased risk and spread of such diseases.
About the vector borne diseases like malaria and other mosquito borne diseases in the Chittagong Hill Districts (CHT) region, the Prime Minister said that the government has been able to almost eradicate Malaria and control other vector borne diseases.
Referring to the CHT Treaty signed in 1996, she said that her government has already implemented many of the clauses of the treaty while implementation of some other clauses is underway to make the region developed.
Hasina said that her government has special attention to the CHT region and taken initiatives to develop various sectors including health, education and communication of the region. The people of the hill areas are now getting necessary services near their houses.
Mentioning that the CHT was once a troubled region due to violence and terrorism, she said peace has been established in the region following the signing of the peace treaty.
The Prime Minister iterated that a University would be established in the CHT to facilitate higher education in the region.
She hoped that it would be possible to establish a middle income, prosperous Bangladesh by the year 2021 with the coordinated efforts of all.
Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder were present.
