Preventive healthcare key to healthier Bangladesh: Zubaida

Dr Zubaida Rahman, vice-president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, on Saturday stressed the importance of preventive healthcare, scientific research and stronger partnerships among the government, research institutions, universities and the pharmaceutical industry.
“Preventive measures for certain illnesses have not been encouraged due to years of neglect in the health sector,” she said.
Dr Zubaida, wife of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was speaking at a programme at a Gulshan hotel in Dhaka marking the 12th anniversary of the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi), a non-profit biomedical research and diagnostic organisation.
She said millions of women in more than 90,000 villages were suffering from illnesses that could be prevented through appropriate healthcare.
Referring to the government’s plan to recruit 100,000 healthcare workers, 80 per cent of them women, she said they would play an important role in taking preventive health messages to communities. Research, testing and public trust, she added, were essential to spreading knowledge about disease prevention door to door.
She praised ideSHi’s efforts over the past 12 years to bring scientific knowledge and healthcare initiatives closer to the people, and congratulated its founder and lead, Dr Firdausi Qadri, and the institute’s scientists and staff.
Dr Zubaida said the government was trying to encourage young people to engage in science, innovation and technology. 
“We need more scientists,” she said, expressing hope that by studying, solving and preventing the country’s own problems, Bangladesh could “shine in the world” in health.
This would require patient support, honest partnership and meticulous work from the government, research universities and pharmaceutical industries, she said. Acknowledging that young scientists might be disheartened by the slow pace of their work, she said they should take pride in helping many people lead healthy lives.
Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder, the prime minister’s special assistant on health affairs, attended as special guest. He said the government envisioned a healthcare system that prevents disease, detects illness before it becomes life-threatening and ensures quality treatment for every citizen.
He outlined five priority areas: strengthening research for disease prevention and health security; making primary healthcare the foundation of the health system; promoting pharmaceutical innovation, biotechnology and locally developed diagnostics; advancing digital health and artificial intelligence; and building a sustainable ecosystem for health research and development.