Dhaka March 17 2025 :
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are now akin to a health emergency and require a three-pronged national effort focused on prevention, detection and integrated risk management.
This was the consensus emerging out of the multi-stakeholder health debate at CIRDAP auditorium organized by PPRC and the UHC Forum with support from UNICEF. Hyper-tension, diabetes, cancer and respiratory complications are not only the cause of 70% of deaths annually but are also impacting the lives of youth and children.
The discussion highlighted the urgent need to integrate NCD management into primary healthcare (PHC) through healthy life promotion, early detection and risk management. Dr. MA Faiz, former DG, Health stated, “Reducing heart attack cases is impossible without effectively controlling hypertension and diabetes. We consume 3 to 4 times more salt than the recommended amount.
These are simple issues where we have failed to raise awareness among people.” Introducing NCD Corners in Upazila health complexes has been a novel initiative but access remains limited due to medicine supply shortages and a lack of awareness.
The discussion highlighted the urgent need to integrate NCD management into primary healthcare (PHC) through healthy life promotion, early detection and risk management. Dr. MA Faiz, former DG, Health stated, “Reducing heart attack cases is impossible without effectively controlling hypertension and diabetes.
We consume 3 to 4 times more salt than the recommended amount. These are simple issues where we have failed to raise awareness among people.” Introducing NCD Corners in Upazila health complexes has been a novel initiative but access remains limited due to medicine supply shortages and a lack of awareness.
Prof. Dr. Syed Zakir Hossain from DGHS noted, “The pre-diabetes population can be effectively intervened through behavioral change and lifestyle training.” Dr. Imran Ahmed Chowdhury from BRAC emphasized, “The government must take a leading role through better coordination.
Establishing an NCD consortium and forum will unite all NCD stakeholders under one umbrella, ensuring a well-informed and cohesive approach.”
Dr. Aliya Naheed of ICDDRB stressed the importance of building awareness from an early age, saying, “We should focus on prevention from the school level to make students more aware of their lifestyle.”
Dr. Aminul Hasan pointed out, “We need interoperability with the private sector to understand the whole picture.” Recommendations included ask-shifting to community health workers, stricter regulations on unhealthy food marketing, and financial models to improve medicine accessibility.
In his concluding remark, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman emphasized that addressing NCDs requires a shift from a fragmented, vertical approach to a more integrated and systemic transformation.
He highlighted the importance of reimagining the role of community-level health workers, strengthening lesson-sharing mechanisms among organizations, and advancing preventive strategies. “Behavioral change must come through sustained awareness efforts, not fear-based messaging.
A nationwide social campaign, like the successful orsaline initiative, is essential to drive community engagement and long-term change,” he emphasized. With Bangladesh’s strong domestic pharmaceutical industry, ensuring a stable medicine supply should be a priority. Ultimately, a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach is essential to tackling the growing NCD burden effectively.
Chaired and moderated by PPRC Executive Chairman and UHC Forum Convener Hossain Zillur Rahman, participants in the debate included Dr. Md. Tariqul Islam, Gonoshasthaya Kendra; Dr. Samar Kumar Hore, Gonoshasthaya Kendra; Dr. Zahid Hassan, UNICEF; Dr. Sanjan K. Das, EDCL; Ramisha Anjum; Aliya Naheed, icddr,b; Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, NHF&RI; Quazi Ahmed Faruque, Centre for Zakat Management (CZM); Mohammad Abdul Hakim Majumder, Manobik Bangladesh Foundation; Sonjida Mesket Simi, IFPRI; Zakir Akanda, GAIN; Mahin Rahman, Saaol Heart Center Dhaka; Dr. Fida Mehran, UNICEF; Dr. Abu Jamil Faisel, PHAB / UHC Forum; M. G. Rabbani, MSH; Tupul Bonowaree, HEFD Bangladesh; Dr. SM Mustafizur Rahman, GAIN; Prof. Bishwajit, CCHR, BADAS; Dr. Dewan Md. Emdadul Hoque, UNICEF; Dr. Aftabuddin, PHFBD; Dr. Mohd. Aziz Khan, UNICEF; Mohon Raihan, Saaol Heart Center Dhaka; Dr. Imran Ahmed Chowdhury, BRAC; Dr. Ariful Haque, Sajida Foundation; Dr. M A Faiz, Former DGHS; Prof. Dr. A. F. M. Sarwar, BUHS; Syed Abdul Hamid, IHE, DU; M. A. Mohit, BMTC; Dr. Abu HenaMohammad Raihanuzzaman, DGHS; Md. Saiful Islam, JPS Tech; Prof. Dr. Khaleda Islam, INFS, DU; Prof. Shimu Lata, BHEC; Md. Azmal Kabir, MOHFW; Iqbal Anwar, OGSB Hospital and IRCH Dhaka; Prof. Dr. Syed Zakir Hossain, DGHS; Ashraful Haque, PPRC.
