Non-Communicable Diseases

Research IdeasDhaka

May 30, 2015

Bangladesh PrioritiesWORKING WITH 30-50 economists including Nobel Laureates, 100+ sector experts engaging major development organizations, NGOs, government, businesses, youths, rural and urban Bangladeshis to identify, analyze and prioritize interventions that will deliver greater benefit per taka spent, helping move Bangladesh towards Vision 2021 and a more prosperous long term future.

In cooperation with the Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC,

Copenhagen Consensus Center organized roundtable discussions with

an aim to figure out smarter solutions to the most problematic issues facing

Bangladesh.

These roundtables are one of several sources

for research ideas.

Sourcing ideas and solutions

Smarter solutions for Bangladesh

Complete set of papers on 30-50 solutions

PRIORITIZATION

Government NGOs

Academia Pvt sector

Think tanks Developmentorganizations

Eminent Panel Assessment

Government and donor seminars

Rural polls Newspaper pollsamong readers

Youth forums across the

countryPrivate sector

meetings

Social, economic and environmental benefit-cost

research by top Bangladeshi, and

international economistsExtensive peer review by

sector experts and academics

100+ ideas on policies & investments

2016

2015

Continuous engagement

with the public via electronic,

print and social media

Working with civil society, government and sector

experts

Widely advocating results of

prioritization exercises

OUTREACH

Research Ideas

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs);(1 of 6)

• Providing arsenic-free water to arsenic affected areas. • Research on progress recorded in terms of increasing

arsenic-free water supply and the way forward. • Raising awareness about the link between children’s

obsession with electronic gadgets and child obesity.• Mandatory recreational space for physical exercise and

activities in residential areas. • Vaccination for adults to combat Chronic Obstructive

Pulmonary Diseases (COPD).• Motivating doctors to quit smoking to really inspire

other patients.

NCDs;(2 of 6)

• Strengthen BSMMU’s role in dealing with cervical and breast cancers.

• Provision of government fund for NCD research.• Redesign curriculum for adolescent NCD education. • Increasing counseling hours to detect addiction and to

improve understanding of a patient’s history. • Adequate manpower training for cardiology. • Specific excise tax on tobacco instead of the present

slab system.• Awareness raising of tobacco consumption and its NCD

impact.

NCDs; (3 of 6)

• Enforce anti-tobacco law. • Reduce salt use at the cooking stage. • Awareness on products’ contents, in particular, salt

proportions. • Mandatory contents description on processed foods.• Specific NCD programs for rural-urban adolescents. • Scale up NCD detection Systems• Promote healthy life practices through behavior change

communication programs.• Female Welfare Assistant (FWAs) to disseminate NCDs

related information. • Mobile, universal tests for screening breast cancers.

NCDs; (4 of 6)

• More antenatal and neonatal care in Upazilas and Unions.

• Oral, cervical and breast cancer tests to be done in one place.

• Roll out cervical cancer vaccine.• Raising awareness of rural health centers on NCDs.• Create a national-level cancer database.• Menstrual hygiene management initiatives to reduce

cervical cancer.

NCDs; (5 of 6)

• Raise awareness of community health workers (CHWs) on NCDs.

• All district medial colleges to engage in Upazila level NCD awareness, right down to Union Parishads.

• NCD screening tests for returnee migrant workers. • Urban health centers to deal with internal migrants’

NCDs. • Impact of industrialization and unplanned urbanization

on NCDs. • Prepare comprehensive strategies for preventing and

treating NCDs.• Massive NCD health promotion and prevention efforts for

changing people's attitudes and behavior.

NCDs; (6 of 6)

• Programs for coastal belt people being affected by salinity (e.g. hypertension) and women in danger of pregnancy complications (e.g. eclampsia).

• Awareness on neurodevelopment disorders (NDDs) in districts and regions outside Dhaka.

• NDDs and autism should be equally prioritized. • Campaign on Hepatitis B.• Invest in multi-drug resistance TB.• Mapping of existing comprehensive emergency

obstetrical care (CEmOC) services to ensure access particularly for hard to reach areas.

Full List of Attendees and Interviewees Dr. Sohel Reza Chowdhury, Professor of Epidemiology, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute.Dr. Ali Tanweer Siddiquee, Senior Research investigator, NCD Cell, ICDDR B.Dr. MD. Rashidul Hassan, Director, NIDCH.Dr. MahbubElahi, Scientist, ICDDR B.Dr. Muhammod Abdus Sabur, Consultant.Dr. Md. Yunus, Consultant/Senior Scientist, ICDDR B.Dr. Tariqul Islam, PO, URB.Dr. Samar Kumar Hore, Senior Research Investigator, ICDDR B.Dr Mahfuzar Rahman, Program Head, RED, BRAC.Dr. Fariha Haseen, BSMMU.