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Health minister urges integrated efforts to protect eye health
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 08 Nov 2026, 03:06 PM
Health minister calls for integrated eye care and disease prevention. Photo: Courtesy
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain has called for coordinated awareness campaigns and joint efforts across sectors to protect people's eye health, saying expanding medical services alone is not enough to prevent eye diseases.
Speaking at a workshop at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka on Sunday, he said eye health risks must be addressed alongside other health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
The workshop was titled ‘Review and Finalisation of the Multisectoral Action Plan for Eye Health in Bangladesh’. Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division ANM Moinul Islam chaired the event.
The minister said the government alone could not ensure healthcare for everyone and that public awareness needed to be raised at all levels.
He said diabetes could damage the eyes and kidneys while increasing the risks of heart disease and stroke. Cataract surgery was also costly for many people, making prevention and early detection particularly important.
He urged doctors to work together to protect eye health and strengthen preventive measures alongside treatment services.
Sakhawat Hossain said diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, eye diseases and kidney ailments were closely interconnected. Treating these conditions separately would not be enough to ensure people's overall health, he added.
Instead, he called for integrated treatment and preventive initiatives to address the related health risks.
The minister also stressed the need to establish effective groups or platforms involving specialist doctors from different medical fields. These platforms should work jointly to raise public awareness, prevent diseases and ensure treatment services, he said.
Such coordinated efforts would help people become aware of serious health risks at an early stage, including eye and kidney damage caused by diabetes and strokes resulting from high blood pressure, he added.