The government will launch a nationwide “home-to-home health screening” programme to detect diseases at an early stage and ensure timely treatment, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said on Wednesday.
He made the announcement while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of “Hygiene for Health Bangladesh” at Lake Park in Gulshan, Dhaka.
The health minister said every citizen has the right to receive healthcare and the government is working to ensure that no one is deprived of essential services.
“To protect public health and detect serious diseases at an early stage, the home-to-home health screening programme will be launched,” he said.
Sakhawat said the government plans to recruit 1 lakh health workers for the initiative, 80 per cent of whom will be women.
He said the health workers would visit households and raise awareness among women about preliminary screening methods for breast and cervical cancers.
The minister said the workers would carry special health check-up boxes and conduct tests for blood pressure, weight, diabetes, lipid profile and other health indicators during their visits.
He stressed the importance of maintaining a clean environment, saying public awareness and healthy lifestyles are essential for building a healthy and knowledge-based nation.
Sakhawat also expressed concern over the rising number of caesarean deliveries in the country, saying many newborns are now missing their mother’s first milk, or colostrum, after birth.
He said mothers’ busy lifestyles, lack of awareness and changing social patterns have contributed to a decline in breastfeeding rates, increasing the risk of malnutrition among children.
The event was attended by Miss World Bangladesh Samanza Saeed, Gulshan Society President Omar Sadat, Miss World Bangladesh National Director Azra Mahmood, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam, Gulshan Society General Secretary Mujibul Rahman Mridha and other guests.
