Bangladesh First-ever National Comprehensive SBCC Strategy for Health, Nutrition and Population Disseminated

Bangladesh’s first-ever National Comprehensive Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy for Health, Nutrition and Population (HPN) sector officially disseminated on August 30, 2016 at CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka.
The program was organized with technical assistance from Bangladesh Knowledge Management Initiative (BKMI). Under USAID’s Global Health communication Capacity Collaborative Project, BKMI is jointly implemented by Johns Hopkins Center for communication Programs (CCP) and Bangladesh Center for Communication programs (BCCP).
In the presence of a large number of SBCC professionals and policy-makers representing different government, non-government, private and donor agencies, Director General of Family Planning Mohammad Wahid Hossain, accompanied by Additional Secretary (Public Health & World Health) Ms. Roxana Quader, Mr. Md Abdul Malek, Joint Secretary (Public Health-2), MoHFW; and Dr Faruk Ahmed Bhuiyan, Line Director, Non-Communicable Diseases, Director General of Health Services, unveiled the strategy among a huge round of applause.
As the Chair of the event, Mr Hossain appreciated the initiative taken by the MoHFW under Ms Roxana Quader. He thanked BKMI, CCP and BCCP for their continued support.
In her welcome address Guest of Honor Additional Secretary Ms Quader mentioned that based on the recommendation from the Mid-term Review of the HPN Sector Development Program 2011-16, this Comprehensive SBCC Strategy has been developed for the effective implementation of high-quality SBCC activities throughout Bangladesh. This strategy is a “pathway towards a theory-based, consistent, coordinated and audience-specific SBCC.” A highly participatory process has been followed in developing the SBCC Strategy, she added.
Ms Quader expressed her gratitude to USAID-funded BKMI for their critical role in conceptualizing the content of the strategy, and then from developing the initial draft to finalizing and printing it involving key stakeholders from different ministries and directorates, international and national NGOs, private and donor organizations. She thanked everyone for their time and contribution.
During open discussion different stakeholders shared their feelings and comments that developing this strategy before finalizing next HPN sector development program is a timely initiative. It would help harmonize SBCC activities and contribute towards improved SBCC for the wellbeing of the people of Bangladesh. BKMI provided technical assistance to develop Bangladesh’s first-ever Comprehensive National SBCC Strategy.
More than 100 senior level representatives from different government organizations including ministries and directorates, international and national NGOs, private and donor organizations and media professionals attended the event.