health

May 30, 2023

How 32,000 community health workers in Bangladesh helped 2 million people see better

One in five people in Bangladesh suffer from Presbyopia, a condition which makes seeing things up close difficult for older adults and heavily impacts livelihood opportunities. BRAC, in partnership with VisionSpring, with a cadre of community health workers took to the communities in Bangladesh with a radical idea of ‘demedicalising’ the treatment of Presbyopia in 2006. Read more to learn how trained community health workers helped 2 million people in Bangladesh to see better and preserve their livelihoods.
January 5, 2023

3 key insights from Frugal Innovation Forum 2022

At Frugal Innovation Forum 2022, we revisited the fundamental pillars of development with the post-pandemic world in mind. We reflected on the lessons learnt from the pandemic and together identified three key thematic focus areas in our quest to build back better.
September 12, 2022

Healthcare made hassle-free: Micro health insurance

One big health scare could wipe out a chunk of a family’s savings. Micro health insurance is a way to safeguard people during medical emergencies.
May 28, 2022

Menstruation. What’s the shame in it?

Life would be impossible without menstruation. Then why is it considered embarrassing? Thousands of schools across Bangladesh are trying to change that.
May 26, 2022

Digital doctor: Bridging healthcare gaps in remote areas

Accessing healthcare is almost always a challenge in remote areas. Telemedicine is a low-cost, time-efficient approach to overcoming this.
April 27, 2022

Malaria elimination: Ambitious or achievable?

Bangladesh is on track to end malaria - cases fell by 91% in endemic areas (from 84,690 in 2008 to 7,294 in 2021). Real-time case notification, strong surveillance systems and continuation of treatment and services even during the pandemic have all contributed to this feat.
April 27, 2022

Superheroes on the ground: BRAC’s frontline health workers

The journey of BRAC’s frontline health workers has not been easy. They are women who defy patriarchal norms everyday in order to serve their communities - and save lives in the process.
April 7, 2022

50 years of serving Bangladesh: Community healthcare to pandemic response

BRAC is currently the hub of the world's largest non-government network of community health workers. Across Bangladesh, this network of 50,000 women are taking essential healthcare to the doorsteps of families and reaching the last mile, standing by 80 million people every year.
March 24, 2022

Diagnostics on wheels: Combating tuberculosis in the Rohingya camps of Bangladesh

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19. In the cramped Rohingya camps where one million people live in southern Bangladesh, the disease can spread fast. A new initiative is trying to keep up with its speed - by bringing access to TB diagnosis on wheels.
March 22, 2022

An island in Bangladesh is facing a water crisis. This is how people are taking control.

Rising salinity has sparked a water crisis in Bangladesh’s coastal areas, where millions of people lack adequate access to clean water. Local water entrepreneurs in Moheshkhali are fighting back.
January 27, 2022

What do we need to integrate mental health into mainstream healthcare?

Bangladesh has recently passed the National Mental Healthcare Act 2018, and is about to finalise the breakthrough National Mental Health Strategy. However, resources and investment remain low, with 0.49 mental health caregivers per 100,000 population. In this backdrop, how can mental health be destigmatised and be brought to the doorsteps of everyone?
December 13, 2021

An early focus on wellbeing pays off for a lifetime

Childrens’ wellbeing is connected to their learning, and their ability to nurture meaningful relationships in their early years. Children's brains are extremely active in the early years, and the connections they make become the building blocks of their future. A good foundation makes a difference through adulthood.