Bangladesh to recruit 100,000 health workers, 80% women

The government of Bangladesh is recruiting 100,000 healthcare workers, 80 per cent of whom are women, to help raise awareness about preventive healthcare measures across the country. Dr Zubaida Rahman announced the initiative on Saturday while speaking as the chief guest at a programme in the capital, Dhaka, marking 12 years of scientific research by the biomedical organisation ideSHi.

Addressing the event titled 'Celebrating an Era of ideSHi', Dr Zubaida said the current government's vision to build a healthier Bangladesh incorporates preventive health strategies. She noted that millions of women living in more than 90,000 villages across the country suffer from preventable illnesses. She attributed this situation to years of neglect in the health sector, which left preventive measures against certain diseases inadequately promoted.

Dr Zubaida emphasised that delivering knowledge of preventive healthcare directly to households requires research, testing and trust. She highlighted that ideSHi has been striving to reach people through these methods since its establishment in 2014. She commended ideSHi and its founder, the renowned Bangladeshi scientist Dr Ferdousi Kadri, for their dedicated contributions to scientific research over the past 12 years.

To build a healthier Bangladesh for its large population, hard work will be required from everyone, Dr Zubaida noted. She stated that the government is actively encouraging young people across the country to pursue science, innovation and technology. She also urged young scientists not to become disheartened by the slow progress of their work, reminding them to take pride in helping citizens lead healthier lives.

Dr Zubaida expressed confidence that Bangladesh could achieve significant progress in the health sector and earn global recognition by studying, addressing and preventing its own challenges. However, she stressed that achieving lasting progress will require patient support, honest partnerships and meticulous efforts combining the government, research universities and pharmaceutical industries.

The daylong programme, held under the theme 'Advancing Science, Together', was also attended by Dr S M Ziauddin Haider, Special Assistant for Health to the Prime Minister. Senior government officials, prominent figures from the health and science sectors, representatives of international organisations, researchers and pharmaceutical industry leaders were present. The event featured an inaugural session followed by five expert panel discussions on key issues in Bangladesh's public health sector.