Health Bulletin 2009

one MLSS. Number of USC is 1,362; that for UHFWC is 87. Under HPSP, Government planned
for establishing one Community Clinic for every 6000 rural populations. Number of CCs so far
built is 11,883. But, these were not made functional. Recently Government has decided to start
the CCs again. The total number of CCs will be 18000. The existing UHCs and Union level
facilities will also provide services of CCs in the respective communities. So,13,500 additional
CCs will be required.
The main health workforce in the union level is the domiciliary staff called health assistants.
They are placed in each ward, which is the lowest and smallest administrative unit of the health
sector. They visit the homes of the local people for providing primary health care services and
collection of routine health data. The health assistants routinely organize satellite clinics for
immunization services. Besides there are other small to large hospitals and special purpose
hospitals spread across the country both in rural as well as in urban areas. Under the DGHS,
there are altogether 40 teaching/training institutes and 589 small to large hospitals. In Family
Planning sector, there are one national research-cum-training institute, two hospital-based
training centres, and 32 other training centres (national: 12; regional: 20).
Nearly six hundred health managers under DGHS and a similar number under DGFP, from
national to upazila levels, play roles in administering the health and family planning services
(1,17). This figure does not include the institute and clinic/hospital heads.
Health, Nutrition & Population Sector Program (HNPSP)
The constitution Bangladesh mandates for basic health care services for its people as one of
the fundamental responsibilities of the state. Towards this goal, the government has taken
different endeavors to extend health facilities to the population. The broader policy document of
the Government of Bangladesh that shapes direction of health care is the Proverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (PRSP) although the current government has indicated that it will go for Five-
Year Plan. The Government of Bangladesh is running a program through which the health care
services are provided to the people from the grass root to the central level. The program is
entitled Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program for the period of July 2003 through
June 2010 (HNPSP 2003-2010). The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) designed
the Program Implementation Plan (PIP) in accordance with the PRSP to implement its sectorwide
program popularly known as Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program (HNPSP).
The HNPSP covers 38 Operational Plans (OP) to be implemented by 38 Line Directors and 14
Projects/Programs. The Government has recently decided to continue HNPSP until 2011. The
details of the program are well documented in the form of Program Implementation Plan (PIP)
duly endorsed at the highest policy level of the government, the Excecutive Committee for
National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The Implementing Agency of the program is Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW)
with its attached departments. The financial involvement is estimated to be around Taka
324,503 million which includes contributions for GOB (Government of Bangladesh) and DPs
(Development Partners).
Priority Objectives and Goal
One of the important goals of PRSP and HNPSP is attainment of Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). The health sector is specially striving for attainment of health related MDGs. The
priority objectives of HNPSP are: (i) reducing MMR; (ii) reducing TFR; (iii) reducing malnutrition;
(iv)reducing infant and under-five mortality;
(v) reducing the burden of TB and other diseases; and (vi) prevention and control of noncommunicable
diseases including injuries. The commitment of the government targets towards
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