It is essential to build up a social movement among the people for making a healthy nation by maintaining discipline in every strata of life to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said a health expert.
“Prevention is better than cure in both senses – economically and physically. So we should make a chart for everyday life to ensure good health and become a workforce to participate in the country’s development,” said Dr Shamim Ahmed, an Associate Professor of Pulmonology Department, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), told on Friday.
He said the chart will have to be prepared keeping some essential issues including regular exercise, balanced diet, no smoking and early to bad and early to rise, and the government can spearhead a campaign about creating mass awareness about the chart.
Emphasizing the participation of public and private sectors, Dr Shamim said the people should take all kinds of vaccines, including polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis, yellow fever and pneumonia, which will prevent them from different diseases.
Pointing out the health system of Cuba, he said the northern Caribbean country is providing medical and hospital care by installation of the rural medical service network, hospitals, preventative and specialized treatment centers; by promoting the health publicity campaigns, health education, regular medical examinations, general vaccinations and other measures to prevent the outbreak of diseases.
“The entire population of the country is cooperating these activities and plans through the social and mass organizations,” he added.
Dr Shamim said Cuba’s own health indicators are the best in Latin America and surpass those of the United States in some respects (infant mortality rates, underweight babies, HIV infection, immunization rates, doctor per population rates).
Like Cuba, he said, the government should include the rules of health care in textbooks and start a campaign to realize the people of basic health education to increase life expectancy and reduce some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality.
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 goals and 169 associate targets to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda.
Out of the 17goals, number three goal is for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
The government has already set different targets under the 7th five-year plan from 2016-2020 in line of implementing the SDGs by 2030.
During the period, infant mortality rates of five years old will be brought down to 37 from 41 out of 1000, maternal rate will be come down to 105 from 194 out of one lakh, fertility rate will be brought down to two percent and increasing the use of contraceptives to 75 percent.
During 2016-2020, 100 percent children will get measles vaccine and 65 percent new born child will receive care from skilled health workers.
