Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Saturday said the government would face the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenges with support of the non-government organizations and development partners.
“The non- government organisations and donor agencies would have to come forward to support us in realising the targets of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). …We have full confidence that the agencies and people of all level will continue to support our development drive,” he said.
Nasim was speaking as the chief guest at a policy dialogue programme titled “Health Challenges of SDGs: Path to UCH in Bangladesh” at Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) auditorium in city’s Agargaon. Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) organized the programme.
Terming the high drug price as one of the main challenges to achieve the UHC, he said “The government has already taken steps in this regard under the bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”
“People themselves have to be careful about their health. They have to stop having fast foods, take some physical exercises and stop taking tobacco products,” Nasim added.
He reiterated that the admission seekers of medical science would have to submit non-smoker certificates and this initiative would come into force from the academic year 2016-17.
The Minister also called for increasing allocation for the health sector in the new budget as the government would have to provide standard treatment and other facilities to the people.
Earlier, the minister unveiled a book titled ‘Realizing UHC Goals”.
National Professor Brig (retd) Abdul Malik, Founder of Gano Shasthaya Kendra Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury spoke with PPRC Executive Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman in the chair.
