Valerie Taylor, Hosne Ara honoured

9 December, 2015 00:00 00 AM

Staff Reporter

Founder and coordinator of Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) Dr Valerie Ann Taylor and Executive Director of Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS) Prof Dr Hosne Ara Begum have received Public Health Foundation Award. Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh (PHFBD) honoured them with the award yesterday at the closing session of the two-day scientific conference on health marking the 3rd Public Health Foundation Day.

Founder president of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute National Professor Dr Abdul Malik was present at the function as the chief guest. Daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman and icddr,b Deputy Executive Director Dr Abbas Bhuiyan were  special guests. PHFBD Chairman Prof Dr M Muzaherul Huq, CEO Prof Dr Sharmeen Yasmeen and Faith Bangladesh Vice-chairman Nilufer Ahmed Karim also spoke at the function. Dr Malik called for giving more focus on prevention of diseases, rather than their cure and establishment of health facilities, for combating diseases. “Establishment of hospitals is not the answer (to diseases), the answer is prevention,” he said. Matiur Rahman highlighted several irregularities in the health education sector and urged all concerned to maintain quality in the field. Muzaherul Huq said the government allocation for health sector in Bangladesh is very low and even that allocation does not reach majority of the people as the government health activities centre around the capital. He said to ensure universal health coverage determined by the United Nations, Bangladesh has to make sure that rural people are getting benefit of the health allocation.
Calling for raising government allocation for health, Huq observed that no nation can attain economic and social development unless they can ensure good health of its people. He said the government has to formulate public health policy instead of health policy. Highlighting the activities of Health Foundation of Bangladesh, Sharmeen Yasmeen said the organisation is working for grooming health professionals. Twenty-two study reports and papers were presented on the second day of the seminar. The papers were on diversified health issues, including universal health coverage in Bangladesh, non-communicable diseases, maternal health and health system.