Role of Different NGO’s in Public Health in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, an developing country in the Global village. It is southern asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal Between Barma & India.

It contain the total area of 1,47,570 sq km. Including 133910 sq km of land and 10,090 sq km of water. It is surrounded by 193 km of Barma & 4,053 km of Indian boarder.

There is a direct link between healthy behaviors and good health. Healthy behaviors can address many of the preventable causes of disease and deaths in both industrialized and developing countries. Working with governments, health personnel and through the community, UNICEF helps promote practices at the household and community levels that are proven to improve child health and development – including seeking immunization,

managing diarrhea, improving nutrition and care, and preventing injuries.

The list of NGO’s in Public Health In Bangladesh.

1. RADDA MCH FP Centre Bangladesh.

2.  Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh.

3. Bangladesh Association for Maternal And Neo-Natal Health(BAMANEH)

4. Essential Health Care (EHC) of brac.

RADDA MCH FP Centre Bangladesh.SummaryIn 1974, Radda Barnen (the then Swedish Save the Children), an international NGO, began operating the Centre as a project for providing maternal and child health care for the underserved and underprivileged population of Mirpur under Dhaka Metropolitan City.

Program goalsThe Radda MCH-FP Centre aims at improving health and quality of life for families with particular emphasis on low-income and disadvantaged ones of Mirpur, Pallabi and Kafrul area. The primary focus is providing preventive and curative health care services to mothers, children and adolescents. The Centre also provides family planning services, and designs and conducts activities for human resource development through training and research. Gradual expansion of these services to cater the whole range of entire community health and related services is the long-term objective. Future plan: To continue working with youth and adolescents on reproductive health service delivery but priority should be on female youth and adolescents.

Key program componentsThe Radda MCH-FP Centre engages in 3 major activities

1.) Provision of MCH-FP Services

2.) Provision of other community health services

3.) Training and Research

Service Provision: Service delivery is performed on three levels at static clinic sites, satellite clinics and the household level (community outreach). The Centre runs 9 drugs stores at each of its 9 static clinics, which stock all essential medicines necessary for treating its clients.The Radda MCH-FP Centre provides the following services:

Comprehensive range of MCH-FP services Safe home delivery by trained traditional birth attendants

Adolescent reproductive health services and counseling Health education to all clients visiting the clinics Treatment of RTIs/ STDs and health education on prevention of HIV/AIDS Community-based MCH-FP activities and health education Nutritional support to the malnourished children of poor and marginalized group of

the community of Mirpur area.

Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh.

MissionProviding health care to the needy in Bangladesh through setting up hospitals, clinics, and providing emergency medical transportation. Hope Foundation aims to serve anyone in need, especially destitute women and children.

ProgramsThe Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh has built a 40-bed hospital and 8 satellite medical centers in rural Bangladesh. These centers strive to provide quality care to patients who cannot afford medical attention and/or those who do not have access to treatment. No patient is ever turned away by the staff of doctors, nurses, and medical attendants on site. Emphasis is not only given to treatment, but also to prevention through mass education programs about infant care, maternity health, breast feeding, and family planning. Furthermore, a Hope Emergency Ambulance was established in the Cox's Bazar district of Chittagong in Bangladesh to address the need for quick medical attention which is often lacking in the area. The Cox's Bazar Hospital for Women and Children and medical clinics established also provide surgeries for cleft lip/palate, fistulas, and Rickets (among other medical services) by a team of physicians from abroad.

Summary

Obstructed labor is a direct cause of Bangladesh's high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. In rural areas, over 90% of women give birth at home, at the hands of untrained birth attendants. HOPE aims to give women with high risk pregnancies, safe delivery to save their and their children's lives.

SolutionHOPE has a database of 2,000 pregnant women at any time. These women will be screened to determine whether they are experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, due to young age, underdevelopment of the birth canal, unfavorable positioning of the baby, breach, etc. HOPE will then ensure this mother is at HOPE Hospital the day of her delivery, or plan for her cesarean delivery and save this mother and her child's life without costing the family everything they have.

Long-Term ImpactNot only will this project save hundreds of mothers and their babies, but it will create a community attitude shift. Women who receive these deliveries will tell their friends and families how their lives were spared, and explain the importance of being screened for high risk. In remote communities where untrained traditional birth attendants are the norm, we want women to start understanding the value of preventive care and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.

Bangladesh Association for Maternal And Neo-Natal Health (BAMANEH).

Since its inception, BAMANEH   has been contributing significantly in the arena of Family Planning, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) training, Reproductive and Child Health Care, Actional Research on health related issues and so on. BAMANEH has also the creditability in contributing a lot with Govt. initiatives in various studies, the designing and planning activities of the health sector.

In September 1997, Pathfinder International was given the responsibility of running the Rural Service Delivery Partnership (RSDP) Project with some other partners under the National Integrated Population and Health Program (NIPHP). Then BAMANEH was awarded nine (9) Upazilas to work under the new initiatives. The Upazilas are: Alfadanga & Boalmari in Faridpur, Chandina in Comilla, Dohar, Keranigonj & Nawabgonj in Dhaka & Gabtoli, Sonatola & Shibgonj in Bogra district.

The essential service package includes ANC and PNC check-ups , T.T. for pregnant mothers, children immunization, management of sick children (ARI, Diarrhoea, Malnu-trition, Measles etc), Vitamin – A Supplements, side effect management, reproductive tract infection, growth monitoring and counseling for prevention of STDs / HIV/AIDS. The FP service includes injectables, IUD and various temporary methods.

BAMANEH’s long experience and keen interest in mothers & children health has been recognized by the Government, which has made provisions for the organization to get involved with the Government in various studies, design and planning activities of the health sector. In the year 1993 BAMANEH completed study of that nature on “STANDARDIZATION OF FP, MCH & MIDWIFERY KITS”. In November 1994 BAMANEH in cooperation with IAMANEH organized an “International Conference on Maternal and Neonatal Health” in Dhaka. More than one hundred world reputed professional and experts attended the conference. In all, over three hundred person from home and abroad attended the conference, which focus global situation on these issues with special emphasis on prevailing situation of Bangladesh. In November 1999 BAMANEH also organized an another International Conference titled as “FIRST SOUTH ASIAN CONFERENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE AND CHILD HEALTH” in Dhaka with cooperation of IAMANEH, Indian College of Maternal and Child Health (ICMCH), & Obstetrics and Gynecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB), where delegates from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan attended the conference and made valuable recommendations to improve the Reproductive and Child Health Status of South Asian countries.

In a word, BAMANEH is trying to play an active role in the field of health and family planning and committed to utmost efforts for a better health of rural community of Bangladesh.

Presently BAMANEH is working in the following areas:

NGO SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECT (NSDP)At present BAMANEH is implementing 9 NGO Service Delivery Project (NSDP) under National Integrated Population and Health Programme (NIPHP) initiative in four districts covering 121,598 eligible couples and a total population of 611,045 at Chandina in Comilla, Keranigonj, Dohar & Nawabgonj in Dhaka, Gabtoli, Sonatola & Shibgonj in Bogra and Boalmari & Alfadanga in Faridpur district.

               Area          No. of Population covered

Alfadanga, Faridpur              36,899

Boalmari, Fardipur              48,156

Chandina, Comilla             76.548

Dohar, Dhaka              42,271

Gabtoli, Bogra              87,422

Keranigonj, Dhaka              74,457

Nawabgonj, Dhaka              59,874

Sonatola, Bogra              60,990

Shibgonj, Bogra            124,427

TOTAL            611,045

Under the initiative BAMANEH has introduced a modified rural service delivery system emphasizing on the clinical modes of operations with the involvement of community with a minimum cost. As per its design, there is no door step contraceptive distribution, instead customers are encouraged to visit satellite and /or static clinics for supplies and services. Instead of paid TBAs BAMANEH has selected volunteer TBAs who act as depot holders.

The essential service package includes ANC and PNC check-ups , T.T. for pregnant mothers, children immunization, management of sick children (ARI, Diarrhea, Malnutrition, Measles etc.), Vitamin – A supplements, side effect management, reproductive tract infection, limited curative care, adolescent health, growth monitoring and counseling for prevention of STDs / HIV/AIDS. The FP services includes injectables, IUD and various temporary methods. BCC issues are also addressed with active participation of community people.

In addition, BAMANEH has developed a well-knitted referral system for the customers which includes referral to the existing govt. and other private clinics for contraceptive sterilization, treatment for high risk pregnant mothers etc.

One of the striking feature of BAMANEH M.C.H. project is the Mother’s Club. It is an organization of fellow mothers numbering 15 – 20 members of same socio-economic stratum, mostly from landless and marginal classes. It is a forum of mothers which deals with their holistic development with special importance to improved health status. Such organizations are developed by BAMANEH as an avenue for all outreach activities. With the monthly small savings, Mothers Club members mobilize local unutilized resources to have a better way of living.

Essential Health Care (EHC) of brac.Essential health care (EHC) is the foundation of BRAC's health program combining

promotive, preventive and basic curative services. EHC has revolutionized the

primary healthcare approach in Bangladesh, reaching millions with low cost basic

health services through BRAC's frontline community health workers.

EHC aims to improve reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health along with

the nutritional status of women and children. The program further aims to reduce

vulnerability to infectious, communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases.

The program provides primary healthcare services including maternal and child

healthcare, basic treatment for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and promotes

family planning methods and safe delivery practices. Use of proper sanitation, safe

drinking water, hygiene-specific messages are also disseminated among

communities.

The EHC program has partnered with different government agencies under the

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to observe national health-specific days and

events of instruction across the country. Collaboration with the government to

promote family planning, immunization of children and distribution of vitamin A

capsules within communities are a few of the many successes of the program

Currently the program is operating in all 64 districts of the country and delivering

healthcare services to over 120 million people, in turn serving as a platform for other

health interventions.

Essential Health Care Program for CFPR-TUPIn Bangladesh, 8 per cent of the population is suffering from extreme poverty. Their

health status lags far behind that of the general population.  Essential Health Care

(EHC) services for the ultra-poor under Challenging the frontiers of poverty

reduction – Targeting the ultra poor program (CFPR-TUP) is specially designed to

meet the needs of extremely poor households unable to access or benefit from

traditional development interventions.

The goal of the program is to reduce the vulnerability of the poor and ultra-poor to

sudden health problems and to prevent them from sliding back into the vicious cycle

of extreme poverty

The program aims to increase access to health services, through demand-based

strategies and by providing a package of basic health services which meets the

needs of the ultra-poor.

The financial constraint of the ultra poor is a major impediment in accessing

available health services. To address this problem BRAC has introduced the

provision of financial assistance to the ultra-poor so that they can access medical

care from government or other health facilities.

Community participation is ensured in the program through community forums

(Gram Daridro Bimochon Committee) which form an organized network for the

improvement of health and the social status of the rural poor in each village.

Committee members actively provide motivation and financial support to the ultra-

poor for accessing different health services.

 

As per as we know Bangladesh is trying to cope up with the developed countries the public health department is given a higher priority than other public departments. The NGO’s (4 NGO’s) which are described aren’t the only NGO’s to develop this sector many other big and smalls NGO’s are trying day and night to develop this sector. International organizations and many private organizations collaborating with each other and making NGO’s to develop this public health sector. They will not stop their hard work until they develop the public health sector of Bangladesh. Thus it isn’t as easy as saying they are doing their best.