Staff Reporter :
The World Health Day was observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere across the world on Saturday, highlighting WHO’s this year’s theme “From farm to plate, keep food safe”.
World Health Organisation has dedicated the day to ‘food safety’, to catalyze collective government and public action to put measures in place that will improve safety of food from farms, factories, street vendors, and kitchens. Besides, WHO, for the first time, will also publish estimates of the global burden of food-borne diseases, showing the scale of the problem.
To mark the day, WHO Bangladesh, in collaboration with the government and a number of non-government organizations (NGOs), during April 4-7, organized a series of attractive events all over the country with prime focus on “Safe and nutritious food for all”.
The programmes included discussions, seminars, distribution of souvenirs, exhibitions on health related topics, publication of supplements in national dailies, beautification of traffic islands, theatre display and folk songs.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday, attended by government, non-government, private and social organizations.
The Prime Minister’s key note speech on ‘Safe and nutritious food-pledge for a healthy life’ at the inaugural function provided an overview of the Bangladesh situation in this regard.
A human chain was formed by SUPRO around 11:00am on Tuesday in front of the National Press Club. Addressing the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister Md. Nasim asked the elite of our society and private organizations to extend their hand along with the government to ensure health care of the people.
Different programmes were also chalked out at national, sub-national and community levels in observance the day, such as, discussions and rallies.
Apart from this, a three-day international conference will take place at Redisson Blue Hotel in the capital on April 9 in observance of the day. The topic of the conference is “Realizing Universal Health Coverage (UHP) goals : An international policy and solution conference.”
Funded by Rockefeller Foundation and World Bank and sponsored jointly by Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC), Bangladesh Diabetic Association, Gonoshasthya Kendra, Center for Injury Prevention and Research, BRAC and ICDDR’B, the conference will be attended by health professionals, physicians and officials of different local and international organizations.
