The Role of the Private Sector in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From Four Health Systems

As societies urbanize, their populations have become increasingly dependent on the private sector for essential services. The way the private sector responds to health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can determine the health and economic wellbeing of urban populations, an effect amplified for poorer communities. Here we present a qualitative document analysis of media
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Health Economics Research Network-HERN launched in Bangladesh

ARK Foundation Bangladesh, with the support from Centre from Health Economics, University of York, UK has launched Health Economics Research Network (HERN) in Bangladesh. A number of students complete undergraduate degrees in economics and health economics each year from different public and private universities of Bangladesh. However, they still require the practical experience of applying
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Implementation Status of Non-Communicable Disease Control Program at Primary Health Care Level in Bangladesh: Findings from A Qualitative Research

Objective: Bangladesh has 67% of estimated deaths caused by non-communicable  diseases (NCDs). The country aimed to reduce NCD-related premature deaths by one-third by 2030. This study aimed to explore the overall implementation status of the NCD control program at the primary health care (PHC) level in Bangladesh, explore the challenges, and identify the way forward
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Public Private Partnership in Improving Access and Utilization of Health Care Services: Scopes, Opportunities and Challenges

Improved quality and access to healthcare services are essential for a country’s development. Private sectors like NGOs, for-profit and non-profit organizations have significantly contributed to health by financing and managing healthcare services in different ways. Private sector, similar to other countries, brings technology, innovation, financing, and most importantly, additional health workforce – areas that public
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Men’s Health in Urban Bangladesh: Is the Urban Primary Healthcare System Leaving Men Behind?

Abdur Rahim (67) lazily passes his days at his shabby little home in Duwaripara slum. Being a retired day-laborer, he is now financially dependent on his wife’s and daughter’s income, both of whom work as part-time maids for several families in Pallabi, Dhaka. Rahim, sitting at a teastall with a bunch of his contemporaries, expresses
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CHORUS Blog: Important Yet Ignored: Non-Communicable Diseases in Urban Bangladesh

By Tahmid Hasan In Bangladesh, NCDs are estimated to account for 67% of all deaths. In low and middle-income countries, urbanization has been identified as one of the crucial underlying reasons for the increasing trends of NCDs. Bangladesh has also been experiencing rapid urbanization for the past two decades. The urban population of Bangladesh has increased
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Tackling the Overlooked Pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance: Community Solutions To Antimicrobial Resistance (COSTAR)

By Badruddin Saify, Research Assistant, ARK Foundation   Antibiotic resistance (ABR) arises when bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics. In other words, antibiotics are ineffective against them. It is a common myth that people or animals develop resistance to antibiotics, whereas, in reality, it is germs that become resistant antibiotics.   Vector illustration of superbugs. No
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10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes would reduce overall cigarette smoking among people by 7.1 percent

Cigarette price increases are more effective in reducing cigarette demand among poorer people.  A recently conducted research study finds that the demand for cigarettes responds less than proportionately to changes in cigarette price. Moreover, the study finds that an increase in cigarette price by 10 percent results in a 9 percent decrease of cigarette demand
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Stakeholder Engagement Meeting-Tobacco Control Capacity Programme (TCCP)

Bangladesh has one of the largest populations of tobacco users in the world, with 37.8 million adults consuming tobacco products. Although the overall prevalence of tobacco use among adults declined from 43.3 percent to 35.3 percent between 2009 and 2017, the rate of cigarette smoking remains alarmingly high, with no change observed during that period.
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Knowledge and Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in People With Severe Mental Illness in Bangladesh and Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: People with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are likely to face disproportionate challenges during a pandemic. They may not receive or be able to respond to public health messages to prevent infection or to limit its spread. Additionally, they may be more severely affected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We conducted a telephone survey (May–June
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