A discussion on the recently published book, “Bangladesh at 50: Advances in Health”, was recently held at the Bangabandhu Lounge of the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
The discussion was jointly hosted by the Bangladesh High Commission and the South Asia Centre of the London School of Economics (LSE), said a press release.
The audience, which included British academics and development thinkers and a selection of Bangladeshi diaspora, was welcomed by the High Commissioner Sayeda Muna Tasnim and Professor David Lewis of LSE.
Professor Mushtaque Chowdhury, senior editor of the book and an alumnus of LSE, made the initial presentation where he recounted the liberation war and its impact on health in Bangladesh, as captured in the book.
He mentioned the various gains made by the country in the areas of fertility and mortality decline, nutritional improvement and dramatic increase in life expectancy.
He also mentioned the challenges that the country faces in the run-up to the SDG in 2030 and Smart Bangladesh 2041.
The high commissioner mentioned in detail the advances being made in the health sector under the present government, reads the press release.
The event was also addressed by three distinguished academics including Professor Dina Balabanova and Dr Nikita Arora of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Professor Mushtaq Khan of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who profusely commended the book for its historical value.
The discussants felt the need for more investments in the health sector in order to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The packed event ended with the Q&A session moderated by Dr Nilanjan Sarkar, Deputy Director of LSE's South Asia Centre.
