State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury spoke at a joint view-exchange meeting between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, July 29, 2026 (BSS) – State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury today stressed the need for more effective health awareness programmes and coordinated efforts between the Ministries of Health and Information to improve overall public health across the country.

“Children in developed countries are taught about health risks and awareness from an early age. Bangladesh also needs to introduce an effective social health awareness programme in harmony with the country's social and family values,” he said.

He made the remarks at a joint view-exchange meeting between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting held at the conference room of the Health Ministry.

The state minister said social health awareness programmes must be advanced in a modern and coordinated manner to improve the country's overall public health.
“Programmes should not be limited to birth control alone; rather, child health, prevention of child marriage, adolescent health education, and disease prevention should be included in the programmes,” he noted.

Stressing the need for maximum utilization of govt. resources for public welfare, he said, “Government resources belong to the people and should be utilized through better coordination.”

He added that videos, reels, and digital content can be produced through the Department of Information and the Department of Films and Publications (DFP) and disseminated across the country.

“It is essential to create awareness through digital content by taking into account the behavioral changes of the present generation,” he added.

"Many people are not interested in reading books, but visual content has a greater impact on people's minds," he added.
Speaking at the meeting, State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit said greater importance should be given to digital platforms and social media to raise health awareness.

“Habits developed during childhood have long-lasting effects later in life. Therefore, it is essential to deliver the right messages at the right age,” he said.

He also proposed organizing a joint workshop on family planning, where media experts and health sector specialists would work together to develop targeted messages.

Health Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmad, Acting Director General of the Department of Mass Communication Md. Abdul Jalil, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning Dr. Jinnat Rehana, and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Mahfuza Akter also spoke at the meeting.