Bangladesh reorganising primary healthcare system focusing on prevention: Dr Zubaida

Dr Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation and a prominent physician, has said Bangladesh is reorganising its primary healthcare system around disease prevention, early detection of disease and continuity of care. At the centre of this transformation will be stronger frontline health workers and professional midwives.

She said, "The dream we have of a healthy Bangladesh is to move from a treatment-centric system to one where prevention, early detection of disease and continuity of care are given importance, and healthcare is delivered to people's doorsteps."

Speaking at a high-level side event titled 'From Pledge to Action: Integrating Midwifery into Primary Healthcare to End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths' at the UN headquarters on Thursday, September 24, Dr Zubaida Rahman highlighted various ongoing and planned initiatives in transforming Bangladesh's primary healthcare (PHC) system.

She said Bangladesh is moving towards building an integrated primary healthcare network spanning from villages to cities and wards. This will be accompanied by stronger frontline health workers and digital healthcare. At the centre of this transformation are women and children.

Zubaida Rahman said the process of recruiting 25,000 professional midwives has already begun.

She said the goal of this initiative is not just to increase the number of midwives, but to integrate them into a multi-skilled primary healthcare team.

She further said, "Our goal is not just to increase their numbers."

"We want to integrate them into a primary healthcare team composed of multiple professionals and ensure continuity of care from the pre-conception period through pregnancy, childbirth, post-delivery and newborn care," she said.

Zubaida Rahman said the primary healthcare model presented in the discussion places midwives in a central role throughout the maternal healthcare journey. Through this, an initiative has been taken to transform Bangladesh's health system from a fragmented service structure to an integrated and accountable platform.

She said through this platform, families and communities will be connected to primary healthcare centres and, if necessary, to specialised healthcare through an effective referral system.

Dr Zubaida Rahman said midwife-led primary healthcare can advance three priorities for Bangladesh: better access to healthcare, stronger financial protection and greater health outcomes.