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Notes from the Editor

We believe that Sangjog, the voice of BCCP, has earned popularity among its readers by presenting a wide variety of topics. As a communication organization, BCCP is continuing to inspire the audience to contribute to social development process and avail modern health services by applying enter-educate approach in awareness raising programs. Sangjog has continuously been projecting various BCCP initiatives to its readers. Since its scope and importance increased further in the 21st century, the readers would know about BCCP’s multifarious programs.

With this aim significant news related to communication programs in public health, education and social development have found their places in a tight space of Sangjog. The target audiences will get a comprehensive idea about public health and social development through this effort. Moreover our effort will only be realized when the target audiences is able to practice these effectively in a real life scenario.

Best wishes.

High Level Leadership Workshop Follow-up Meeting with NIPSOM held

A “Discussion on: Strategic Communication” was held on August 3, 2015 in Dhaka with the faculty members of NIPSOM. A total 42 public health professionals attended the meeting. Prof Dr. Akhtarun Naher, Director, NIPSOM delivered her opening remarks in the meeting.

Dr Zeenat Sultana, Deputy Project Director, BKMI discussed about importance of Strategic Communication in Public Health through an interactive session. She shared different issues of Strategic Communication in Public Health including SBCC, different factors to address public health problem etc.   

Ms Kanta Devi, Project Coordinator, BKMI led a discussion on using Digital Interventions in SBCC. Here she mentioned about the usefulness of technology and how ICT based technologies are playing vital role in public health sector. She shared some useful digital solutions like HPN BCC eToolkit for Field Workers, Program Managers’ and Planners’ eToolkit, eLearning course for field workers, Digital Archive of IEM, BHE and IPHN units. BKMI provided technical assistance to MoHFW in the development of these interventions.

Several faculty members from NIPSOM expressed their feeling about the meeting and felt that communication has no alternative. Prof Dr Akhtarun Naher, Director, NIPSOM thanked BKMI and mentioned that this meeting will help to enrich knowledge and it will also improve the thoughts of the faculty members. She sought the support from BKMI in improving the website of NIPSOM. It was requested to organize one/ two workshop yearly like this if possible.

This event was a part of High Level Leadership Workshop Follow-up that was organized to enhance the leadership quality of professionals.

BCC Materials for the Shurjer Hashi Clinics under NHSDP

The NGO Health Service Delivery Project (NHSDP) is co-funded by USAID and DFID. The project is moving ahead with the objectives to provide NGOs with the capacity to improve the health conditions of the poor and underprivileged by providing them with quality health services at a low cost; and to assist government programs to improve maternal health, neonatal care, child health and family planning. As a partner of NHSDP, BCCP is providing technical assistance in behavior change communication and other related areas.

As part of the project, BCCP has recently developed some BCC materials on maternal health, child health and adolescents aimed to change the behavior of the target audience. This includes the Birth Preparedness Card and the 4-Meals Card for pregnant mothers; a brochure on child health based on the importance of breast milk for children; and an information brochure for adolescents.

A guideline has also been developed on when, how and with whom these materials will be used. It is said in the guideline that the materials will be distributed gradually to make the communication programs of the clinics under the NGOs successful. It is expected that the desired outcome will be achieved if the right materials are used with the right people at the right time.

Organize Data Management, Analysis and Report Writing Workshop

Since 2013 BCCP and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) have introduced `Research Grant Program’ to promote tobacco control research in Bangladesh. In this continuation, a 3-day workshop on Data Management, Analysis and Report Writing was organized for the research grantees during August 27-29, 2015.

The workshop was organized at a time when the grantees were about to capture and analyze the data, and write report. The workshop provided the grantees with some essential information on data management, analysis and report writing. A number of hands-on exercises on data management and analysis were also taken place in the workshop. Twenty research grantees attended the workshop. Every Year this grant is awarded to some student researchers and experienced researchers of Bangladesh.

Workshop on developing Implementation Guideline for National Framework for Effective HPN SBCC Held

A National Framework was developed by the Bangladesh BCC Working Group for implementation of the HPNSDP by ensuring SBCC activities aligned with GOB policies, strategies and plans to carry out high-quality standards of best practices. It is named National Framework for Effective HPN SBCC. To develop an implementation guideline for National Framework for Effective HPN SBCC, a workshop was held on August 27, 2015 in Dhaka.

The event was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Md Abdul Waheed Akanda, Chief, Bureau of Health Education and Line Director, Health Education and Promotion. The Special Guests of the workshop were Mohammad Shahjahan, Director & CEO, BCCP; Rebecca Arnold, Project Director, BKMI and Katherine Holmsen, Capacity Strengthening Director, HC3.  In the workshop 61 professionals from Govt, Non Govt and Donor agencies attended.

The objective of the workshop was to develop a guideline to use the National Framework that will help during designing a program. In this regard participants were divided in groups to work on different issues.

BKMI Project Director, Ms Rebecca mentioned that as we are moving ahead for next sector development program, so it is important to know how to do the planning and implementation of SBCC programs. The framework is useful, dynamic and approved by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and we need to use this for next sector development program.

Director & CEO, BCCP, Mohammad Shahjahan mentioned that we need to maintain consistency and coordination in our work to develop synergy. He further mentioned that to improve the health, population and nutrition status of people of Bangladesh we need to use effective and coordinated ways.

The workshop was ended with the planning of preparing a guideline based on the valuable comments and feedbacks of the participants by discussing in the National Framework subgroup.

Organize e-GP Awareness Workshop

Focusing on public expenditure on procurement, Public Procurement Reform Project (PPRP-II, 2nd revised) aims to improve performance of the public procurement system progressively in Bangladesh. At present the project is being implemented by the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of Ministry of Planning with funding from the World Bank. BCCP has again been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting social awareness campaign and communication about on-going public procurements reforms, including Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP).

In this connection, BCCP has started conducting e-GP Awareness Workshop at 64 districts of Bangladesh from July 2015 under PPRP II project. The objective of the workshop is to enhance awareness and understanding about e-GP to facilitate its adoption across the government and private tenderers. Tenderers, representatives of procuring entities and media attend the e-GP awareness workshops.

BCCM Program for UPHCSDP launched

The Local Government Division (LGD) of the Government of Bangladesh provides primary health care services to the urban people through partnership among urban local bodies and Non-Government Organizations with financial support from the Asian Development Bank and other co-financers. LGD had already implemented two projects namely the Urban Primary Health Care Project (1998-2005) and the Second Urban Primary Health Care Project (2005-2001). Evolving from the previous two projects, LGD has launched the Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project (July 2012 to June 2017) with financial support from Asian Development Bank, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the United Nations Population Fund.   

The goal of the project is to improve the health status of the urban population, especially the poor, through improved access to and utilization of efficient, effective and sustainable Primary Health Care (PHC) Services and the Objectives of the project is to improve: (1) access to and use of urban PHC services in the project area, with a particular focus on services provision for free to the poor; (2) the quality of urban PHC services in the project area; and (3) the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and institutional and financial sustainability for the urban primary health care delivery system to meet the needs of the urban poor.

To support attaining the goal and objectives of UPHCSDP, BCCP is implementing the Behavior Change Communication and Marketing program that was commenced from July 2015. Underthe BCCM program, BCCP have already undertaken following three activities.

Inception workshop of the BCCM Component of UPHCSDP Held: The inception workshop of the BCCM component of UPHCSDP was held on August 10, 2015 in Dhaka. About 40 participants from PMU, PIU and PA NGOs were present in the workshop. The inception workshop was chaired by Mr. Md. Abu Bakr Siddique, Project Director, PMU, UPHCSDP. Ms. Zuena Aziz, Director General (MIE), LGD, MOLGRD&C graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Special Guests in the event were Mr. D. K. Nath, Staff Consultant, Urban Health, BRM, ADB, Dhaka;  Dr. Rafiqus Sultan, Project Technical Officer, UNFPA, Dhaka; Mr. Md. Sabirul Islam, Deputy Project Director (Admin &Training), PMU, UPHCSDP; and, Dr. Yeasmin Jahan, Deputy Project Director (Service Delivery), PMU, UPHCSDP.

There were four sessions in the workshop: Introductory Session; Presentation session on BCCM components which was made by BCCM Team Leader Ms. Yasmin Khan; a discussion session in which some recommendations were made after the presentation session; and, a concluding session in which the guests and the chairperson gave their comments and inputs to strengthen the BCCM component of the project. Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan, Director& CEO, BCCP delivered the welcome speech in this workshop.

Training Needs Assessment (TNA) and BCCM needs assessment survey: BCCP conducted a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) and a BCCM Needs Assessment survey on August 18-31, 2015. These surveys have been conducted in 5 city corporations and 2 municipalities such as Dhaka North and South, Gazipur, Barisal and Rajshahi city corporation and Kishoregonj and Gopalgonj municipality. The objectives of these surveys are to explore the status of skills of selected PA NGO staff in regards to Behavior Change Communication & Marketing (BCCM), and Interpersonal Communication & Counseling (IPC/C); know their expectation in regards to BCCM and IPC/C; and assess the readiness of project staff to be engaged as master trainer in the upcoming training programs. It is also mentioned that these surveys were conducted among Project Manager, Family Planning Coordinator, Clinic Manager, Counselor, Paramedic, Field Supervisor, Service Promoter, Family Welfare Visitor of PA NGO in the above mentioned city corporation and municipality.

Message Development Workshop Held: A Message Development Workshop was held during September 13 to 15, 2015 at the Engineering Staff College, Bangladesh (ESCB), Munshigonj. A total of 30 participants from PMU, PIU and PA-NGOs were present in the three-day workshop. Mr. Md. Abu Bakr Siddique, Project Director, PMU, UPHCSDP was present in the Inaugural Session of the workshop as the Chief Guest. In this workshop, the participants shared their experiences and exchanged ideas on BCCM where messages play an important role. By taking part in group work, they developed some messages addressing the five key behaviors identified in the existing BCCM Strategy of the project. In the Closing Ceremony of the workshop, Mr. Md. Sabirul Islam, Deputy Project Director (Administration & Training), PMU, UPHCSDP and Dr. Yeasmin Jahan, Deputy Project Director (Service Delivery), PMU, UPHCSDP were present as Guests of Honor. Ms. Yasmin Khan, Team Leader of BCCM component, acted as the Chief Facilitator and Course Coordinator.