BHB Newsletter

English Version

BHB introduces new project-tracking software

BHB wanted to replace its project-tracking software, so a BHB Senior Technical Adviser on Information, Communication, and Technology developed similar software in-house. BHB transitioned to the new tool on 01 September 2023. The software tracks the team members’ activities and tasks with respect to start date, due date, completion date, percentage of progress, on track […]

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Frontiers in Pharmacology publishes BHB’s study on the effect of GPP refresher training for medicine dispensers in Bangladesh

BHB offers an 80-hour refresher training course on GPP to the country’s medicine dispensers who meet certain basic criteria. FCDO provides financial support for this training; 11,577 medicine dispensers have received the refresher training, and an additional 2,500 will be trained by the end of 2023. BHB commissioned ICDDR,B to assess the effects of the

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BHB continues to enrich its e-Learning platform

BHB’s e-Learning platform was launched in 2021, and since then, BHB has developed and uploaded 39 different e-courses, with 13 of them available for public access and enrolment. Statistics show that 1,191 individuals have completed one or more of the e-courses. Recently, three new e-courses were added—Basic Principle of Medicine Management, Good Dispensing Practice (GDP),

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BHB supports the University of Dhaka to organize the International Health Economics Conference 2023

The Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka is organizing the International Health Economic Conference 2023 in Dhaka from 12 to 13 September 2023. The event will be held at the Senate Auditorium, Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the university campus. BHB’s donor, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),

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UK Government’s team from Department of Health and Social Care visited Bangladesh to discuss AMR containment

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern. It is widely believed that if the irrational use of antibiotics is not controlled, most antibiotics, including the newer ones, will no longer be effective against bacteria. In addition, because antibiotics yield few or no profit for the pharmaceutical industry, they have little interest in doing research

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BHB achieves medicine shops’ third round pre-assessment target of 3,000 shops

BHB is carrying out its third round of medicine shop pre-assessments to help the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) accredit another 3,500 model pharmacies or model medicine shops. To be eligible for accreditation, during the pre-assessment, shops must meet three basic criteria, viz., a valid drug license, a registered medicine dispenser, and minimum shop

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BHB’s technical advisers attend the One Health Conference 2023 held in Dhaka

The 11th One Health Bangladesh Conference 2023 was held from 12 to 14 June 2023 in Dhaka. This three-day event was filled with insightful discussions, innovative strategies, and the latest developments in One Health. This year’s theme was “One Health Approach for Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance and Pandemics.” Three BHB senior technical advisers attended to get

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BHB supports the MOHFW to develop the 5th national health sector development plans

With funding support from FCDO of British Government, BHB provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) to implement its Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP). Since BHB launched in September 2018, the project has supported 27 of the Ministry’s different technical assistance projects. Each five-year HPNSP is unique because

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BHB holds experience-sharing events on its eLearning platform

The Better Health in Bangladesh (BHB) project runs an eLearning platform that allows medicine dispensers employed in retail medicine shops to update and refresh their knowledge. On 25 May 2023 and 31 May 2023, BHB organised two online experience-sharing events with course participants to collect their feedback. The participants recommended holding one hour-long online live

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BHB helps DGDA develop an online database of model medicine shops and model pharmacies

DGDA is promoting its initiative to accredit retail medicine outlets as model medicine shops or model pharmacies. To receive accreditation certificates from the DGDA, the retail medicine shops must meet government standards. Till date, DGDA has recognised several thousand retail medicine shops in Bangladesh as model medicine shops (minimum floor space 120 square feet) or

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BHB helps DGDA to upgrade the online dashboard to display DGDA’s day-to-day regulatory activities

As the country’s national medicines regulatory authority, the DGDA undertakes and enforces various regulatory measures related to the pharmaceutical sector. DGDA summarises these activities daily on the online dashboard displayed on two large monitors on the wall at its HQ. BHB’s in-house technical adviser on IT recently updated the dashboard, and on 17 April 2023,

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BHB is well on track in the pre-assessment of medicine shops for the 2023-2024 round of accreditation

BHB is continuing its work with DGDA in a fresh round of accreditation of retail medicine shops in 2023-2024, with a target of 3,500 shops. The first step is the pre-assessment of retail medicine shops in different districts of Bangladesh. BHB’s dedicated field staff, recruited for this purpose, randomly visit the medicine shops to collect

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“Antibiotic packaging to be flagged red”, DGDA’s directive

To curb the irrational use of antibiotics, the Bangladesh DGDA now requires pharmaceutical manufactures to label antibiotics packaging with a red-flagged message, “Antibiotics: Use only with prescription by a qualified physician”, before marketing and sale. A study by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research of Bangladesh found that an average of 31%-67% of

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BHB’s eLearning platform continues to expand

Since the launch of BHB’s eLearning platform, 19 courses have been uploaded. The number of enrolled participants reached 1,028, many of whom have completed multiple courses. BHB has started new drives to promote the eLearning platform and its new courses—“Basic Principle of Medicine Management” was launched on 12 February 2023 and “Good Dispensing Practice (GDP)”

BHB’s eLearning platform continues to expand Read More »

BHB shares its progress with members of the Technical Management Committee

A Technical Management Committee (TMC) oversees the Better Health in Bangladesh (BHB) project activities. The committee, chaired by Major General Mohammad Yousuf, the Director General of Drug Administration met on 23 March 2023. In the beginning, the Country Project Director of BHB Prof. Dr Abul Kalam Azad explained the importance of the issues to be

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FCDO team meets the Director General of Medical Education

On January 15, Dr Rashid Zaman and Dr Shafiqul Islam, FCDO Health Advisors, and Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, BHB Country Project Director, met with the Director General and senior officials at the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME) to discuss its management information system, which FCDO is funding BHB to help develop. To illustrate

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Medicine dispensers showing growing interest in BHB’s eLearning platform

To further promote medicine dispensers’ use of its eLearning platform, BHB recently added two eLearning courses—Basic Principles of Medicine Management and Good Dispensing Practice (GDP). In the first month, 84 students had completed the medicine management course, while 25 students completed the second eLearning course, which was launched later. The courses include text, images, videos,

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