Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Wednesday said the government will launch a nationwide home-to-home health screening program to detect diseases at an early stage among the general population.
"Every citizen has the right to receive healthcare services, and no one will be deprived of healthcare. To ensure better public health and facilitate the early detection of serious diseases, the government will introduce the home-to-home health screening initiative across the country," he said.
Sakhawat was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of Hygiene for Health Bangladesh at Gulshan Lake Park here.
He said the government plans to recruit 100,000 health workers, 80% of whom will be women. These female health workers will visit households to teach women how to conduct breast and cervical cancer self-examinations so that diseases can be detected at an early stage and treated promptly, he added.
The minister said health workers will carry a special medical kit while visiting homes. They will provide services such as measuring blood pressure, checking body weight, screening for diabetes, conducting lipid profile tests, and performing various other basic health examinations at people's homes, he added.
The minister said maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is essential for staying healthy. He emphasized that public awareness and good health are prerequisites for building a healthy, knowledge-based, and prosperous nation.
Referring to the increasing number of cesarean section deliveries across the country, he said most babies are now being born through cesarean sections. He expressed concern that many newborns are not being given colostrum-the first breast milk, which is the richest natural source of nutrients and antibodies provided by nature.
He attributed the decline in breastfeeding to mothers' busy lifestyles, negligence, and changing living patterns, warning that this trend is pushing many children toward severe malnutrition.
Miss World Bangladesh 2026 title winner Samanzar Sayeed, Gulshan Society president Omar Sadat, National Director of Miss World Bangladesh Azra Mahmood, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam, and General Secretary of the Gulshan Society Mujibur Rahman Mridha were present, among others.
