Community clinics get global recognition

Community clinics got global recognition as a resolution on community-based healthcare in Bangladesh was unanimously adopted at the United Nations (UN) yesterday.

The resolution titled — ‘Community-based primary health care: a participatory and inclusive approach to achieving universal health services’ — has given international recognition to community clinics, an official release said today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina developed the community-based healthcare innovative service initiative and under the initiative, community clinics have been established in the country to provide healthcare services to the people.

In the proposed resolution, the member states of the United Nations widely recognized the successful innovative initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in establishing community clinics and dubbed the initiative as ‘The Sheikh Hasina Initiative’.

It reflects Bangladesh’s strong commitment to improving public health services and establishing equity in global health services, the press release added.

Ambassador Mohammad Abdul Muhit, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, presented the resolution in the General Assembly yesterday. Seventy member states co-sponsored the resolution.

Muhith in his speech highlighted the positive impact of this resolution in achieving universal health care. He described the adoption of this resolution as an unforgettable milestone in the global effort to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

He said the successful implementation of the resolution will play an important role in the development of health services for billions of people in the world through the introduction of community clinic based health system.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched this unique community clinic-based health system in Bangladesh in 1998 with the aim of bringing all the people of the country under primary health care. The community clinics have played an outstanding role in providing primary healthcare services to the people.

The present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has established 14,000 community clinics in the country.