Speaker for ensuring healthy nation

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DHAKA, Oct 1, 2020 (BSS) – Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today called upon the members of parliament (MPs), physicians and all concerned to work together to ensure a healthy nation.

“I urge MPs, physicians and all concerned to work together to ensure a healthy nation,” she said while speaking at a seminar as the chief guest in a city hotel here.

National Heart Foundation and Health Protection Foundation jointly organized the seminar on ‘Engaging Parliamentarians in Controlling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD)’ at the Westin Hotel here.

The speaker underscored the need for playing a proactive role by the lawmakers to conduct an awareness campaign against the non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.

“Non-communicable diseases like heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure pose the highest risk to life . . . The members of parliament (MPs) should play a proactive role in the awareness campaign against its prevention,” she added.

Dr Chaudhury said lawmakers can work as area-wise groups to create awareness through arranging meetings, seminars and doing campaign on people’s eating habits, regular exercise, bicycle rallies and regular morning walks through social media and online.

“Such type of awareness campaign can be arranged at all educational institutions and electoral constituencies for the new generation,” the speaker added.

Lauding the initiative of the organizers to hold such programme as a time-befitting one, the speaker said tobacco use, lack of physical activity and exercise and imbalanced eating habits are the factors largely responsible for non-communicable diseases.

“Indirectly, women and children are also victims of the ill effects of tobacco,” she said, observing that much of its control depends on people’s goodwill.

The speaker put emphasis on increasing the opportunities for cultural activities and sports to prevent diseases by informing the harmful effects of non-communicable diseases.

Health Protection Foundation chairman Prof Md Habib-e-Millat, MP, was in the chair while Professor Dr Sohel Reza Chowdhury presented the keynote speech in the programme.

Honorary President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Gabriela Cuevas Baron, Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh president Dr Harun-ur-Rashid and Bangladesh Diabetic Association President Prof AK Azad Khan were present as the special guests.

World Health Organization (WHO) representative Dr Bardhan Jong Rana, Japanese envoy Ito Naoki, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Bashar Md Khurshid Alam and founder president of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh national Professor Brigadier (Retd) Abdul Malik also spoke on the occasion.

Lawmakers — AFM Ruhul Haque, Meher Afroz Chumki, Aparajita Haque, Shirin Akter, Arma Dutta, Nahid Izahar Khan, Peer Fazlur Rahman, Umme Kulsum Smriti, Zakia Noor, Adiba Anjum Mita, Saida Rubina Mira and Nahim Razzak — gave their brief speeches on the occasion.

Several imminent personalities also attended the seminar, said a press release of parliament secretariat.