Public Health
ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM
Center for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA) works to improve the health and well-being of people and communities around the world specially in Bangladesh. We are partners with local governments, health systems, civil society, and other stakeholders to design and implement evidence-based interventions that address the social determinants of health, such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. CLPA’s vision is a world where everyone has access to quality health care and lives a healthy life.
RECENT NEWS
Human rights activists and public health experts claim that the absence of comprehensive regulation has turned the country’s healthcare system into a business, …
We are delighted to share with you that The Center for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA) has been selected to receive the 2024 …
During a discussion, public health professionals and human rights advocates emphasized that it is now essential to properly label food packaging with the …
On 18 and 19 May 2024 a two-day training on promoting physical activity and a healthy diet through a regulatory approach was organized …
ADVOCACY WORKSHOP ON SSB TAXATION
An advocacy meeting regarding SSB taxes was organized by DGHS and WHO on November 14, 2023. Representatives from the National Board of Revenue, Tariff Commission, JICA, Ministry of Commers, Consumers Rights Department, Custom Department, National Heart Foundation, and Ministry of Health attended the meeting. Syed Mahbubul Alam from CLPA presented a paper on the leveling of SSB packaging and the policy environment in Bangladesh during the meeting. Chief guest at the event was the Additional Secretary, World Health, Ministry of Health and Family. The participants recommended conducting research on SSB taxes in Bangladesh and organizing workshops for relevant stakeholders to improve capacity on this topic. Members of the CLPA team assisted in organizing the event in Dhaka.
MEETING WITH NCDC
On November 20, 2023, in the DGHS office in Mohahkali, a delegation from the CLPA team meets with NCDC program manager Dr Fazla Ehlahi to discuss the activities of the RECAP project. The team discusses planning a collaborative event as part of the RECAP initiative during the discussion. The program manager thanks the CLPA team for their contribution to NCD control. Afterwards, the CLPA team meets with Robayet Amin, the NCDC Line Director Profession, and presents him with the NCDs and policy publications. The policy findings for Bangladesh’s NCD control are shared by the CLPA team.
Professor Amin thanks CLPA for their efforts in identifying the policy. He further underlines that the NCDs aim cannot be achieved in without any of changes to legislation. He stated that the Honorable Health Minister also focused on policy and other ministry roles for NCDs control during the NCDs operation plan meeting. The CLPA team briefly discusses the various ministries’ roles in Bangladesh’s combat against NCDs.
Parliaments emphasize the importance of promoting physical activity and healthy diet in order to reduce NCDs.
Parliament members said, it is important to strengthen laws and policies to ensure the supply of fresh vegetables and physical activity to prevent non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Non-communicable diseases account for 67% percent of the country’s total deaths. 22 percent of which are premature deaths. If all these diseases are not prevented, the overall progress of the country will be hampered. This was stated at a discussion meeting on “Role of Law to promote Physical Activity and Healthy Diet” at Thursday March 10, 2022 at the Parliament Members Club Hall of the National Parliament, organized by Center for Law and Policy Affairs-CLPA and Dhaka International University, supported by International Develop Law Organization-IDLO. Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari’ MP presided over the meeting and the keynote address was delivered by Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, Secretary, Center for Law and Policy Affairs-CLPA.
Role of Local Government to promote Physical activity and Healthy Diet
On 3rd March, 2022, in collaboration with the Barisal Divisional Commissioner’s Office, a divisional workshop was organized on the topic of “Role of Local Government to promote Physical activity and Healthy Diet. The event was attended by planners, environmentalists and representatives of social organizations. Mr. Md. Amin Ul Ahsan, Barisal Divisional Commissioner was present as the Chief Guest in the meeting held in the meeting room of Barisal Divisional Commissioner. Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Barisal Mr. Md. Wahedur Rahman presided over the meeting held with the participation of heads of various government and non-government organizations of Barisal Division. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Center for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA) and Save the Coastal People (Scope).
Speckers said, Fields, parks, gymnasiums, sidewalks, ponds and reservoirs are all very important in a city for physical activity. This can be ensured through urban planning, infrastructure development, budget allocation and law enforcement. People cannot be encouraged to engage in Physical activity just by building cities without planning.
The Divisional Commissioner said in his speech that different people have come here from different sectors. Controlling non-communicable diseases will be easier if everyone fulfills our responsibilities from their respective places. The office of the Divisional Commissioner will co-operate in whatever assistance is required for the preparation or operation of ponds, fields, parks, schools, colleges, playgrounds in Barisal city for the control of non-communicable diseases.
Local government leaders urge for strong NCDs control policy
A sensitization meeting was held on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at Lakeshore Hotel, which was organized by Center for Law and Policy Affairs-CLPA, IDLO and Citizen Network on Role of local government to promote healthy diet and physical activity for reducing NCDs. The keynote address was delivered by Professor AFM Sarwar, Research Consultant and Syed Mahbubul Alam, Secretary, Center for Law and Policy Affairs-CLPA. Different Municipality Mayors, CSOs leader, Urban Planner, Public Health experts were attended the meeting.
Speakers said that it is possible to play an important role in protecting human health through urban planning. Urban planning includes workways for walking, safety and priority for pedestrians, lanes for bicycles, parks, open spaces and control of free movement of all. Physical activity can be enhanced by making exercise compulsory in educational activities, ensuring teachers and materials for exercise. The Field, Parks and Natural Resources Conservation Act 2000 and local government laws are relevant. It is possible to ensure the benefits of manual labor in the city by empowering the local government.
Architect Iqbal Habib, Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Environmental Movement, Planner SM Mehedi Ahsan, General Secretary, Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Planner Maqsood Hasmi, Chief Town Planner, Dhaka North City Corporation, Mir Alamgir Hossain, Deputy Secretary, Railways Dr. AKM Shamim Alam, Project Director, Union Level Farmer Service Center, Department of Agricultural Extension, Roman Haque, Executive Director, ARK Foundation, Gazi Kamrul Huda Selim, Former Mayor, Manikganj, Former Convener Mayor Alliance for Healthy City, Mr. Faruk Hossain, Mayor, Harinakund Municipality, Mr. Nazrul Islam Mandal, Mayor, Goaland Municipality, Md. Golam Kabir, Mayor, Dhamrai Municipality, Abu Naser Khan presided over the meeting, Chairman, Save Environment Movement, gave welcome speech, Aminul Islam, Head of Program, CLPA.
Promoting Physicals activity and Healthy Diet should be priority agenda: Public Health experts
At present, about 67% of deaths in Bangladesh are due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. If all these diseases are not prevented, the overall progress of the country will be hampered. Those outside the health sector must also take responsibility for controlling non-communicable diseases. In this case, the role of local government is the most. This opinion was expressed in a webinar on “Role of Public Health professional in promoting healthy diet and physical activity organized by Bangladesh Cancer Society, Center for Law and Policy Affairs-CLPA, Citizen Network on Friday, February 1, 2022, Twenty-five Doctor and Public Health expert attended the event. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Farooq, Project Director, Cancer Society. Paper was presented by Prof. AFM Sarwar, Research Consultant, Center for Law and Policy Affairs.
Country wide functional CSOs network formed to strengthen advocacy for NCDs prevention and control
CLPA established a CSOs’ Network to NCDs control (called Citizen Network, or C-Net), including 27 organizations in October 2021. To share the policy briefs and sensitize the leaders of the member CSOs on existing laws and policies on healthy diets and physical activity promotion on NCDs control, their role in promoting these and how to conduct advocacy initiatives/awareness-raising sessions on these issues targeting local governments. As a follow up to the meetings, the CSO leaders committed to meet with local mayors, district education officers, district agriculture officers, district play council leaders to hand over a memorandum of recommendations to sensitize them and advocate for regulatory and fiscal frameworks for NCDs control.
In October 2021, the involved CSOs conducted a series of meetings with local governments to share recommendations around regulatory and fiscal measures for NCDs control and promotion of physical activity (e.g., budget allocation and related infrastructures) and healthy diets. Other meetings were conducted with technical health education officers to recommend the inclusion of physical activity at school level, along with the consumption of fresh food, urban agriculture (rooftop gardening), as well as with the sports council. A memorandum with recommendations – prepared by CLPA and shared with CSOs – was shared with at the local and central government level.