A comparative study of job satisfaction of the senior male and female executives in Bangladesh

Volume 7, June 200

Global sustainability development and China’s emergence as a promotor

Sustainability, that, stands on three pillars, social, economic, and environmental, and the idea or concept of “sustainable development” binds them together to uplift the spirit of development. China appears as an emerging global development partner in the late 1980s for sharing the development with sustainable development. After World War II, the world community sought global peace and security, freedom, socio-economic development, and environmental protection to reconstruct a new world. China responded to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, realizing the importance of nature and the environment worldwide. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) promote the Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development. The country also emphasizes on global green governance, such as south-south environmental cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Therefore, this paper discusses the presence of  China in global platforms, focusing on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) reduction policies, promoting renewable energy generation (REG), endeavoring for marine sustainability, green finance, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, referring China’s ecological civilization (EC) construction as an example

Effectiveness of Depot-holders Introduced in Urban Areas: Evidence from a Pilot in Bangladesh

Depot-holders are women from the community who promote good health practice and use of clinics. They keep a stock of contraceptives and oral rehydration salts to supply other women and are paid some incentives. In 2003, the NGO Service Delivery Program (NSDP) introduced depot-holders in three types of urban area in Bangladesh as a pilot. This evaluation study was carried out to: (a) establish a baseline for measuring the impact of activities of depot-holders on a comprehensive range of indicators in the long-term, (b) make a preliminary assessment of the impact on the use of selected services of the essenial services package (ESP) and other indicators at the end of the pilot phase, and (c) assess the cost of introducing depot-holders and running their activities for a year. Data from the baseline and end of pilot household surveys, together with service statistics from the intervention and comparison areas, were used for assessing the changes in clinic use and commodity distribution. The study found evidence that the depot-holders transferred knowledge to women in the community, provided services, and referred women to clinics run by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There was a large increase in the number of client contacts at the NGO clinics and in the quantity of oral contraceptive pills and oral rehydration salts distributed by the NGOs, mostly attributable to the activities of the depot-holders. The estimated cost per depot-holder per year was Tk 15,241 (US$ 262). Overall, the performance of the depot-holders in the pilot phase suggests that they can be introduced in different types of urban area and can be effective in their dual role as providers and promoters of services

The effectiveness of introducing Group Prenatal Care (GPC) in selected health facilities in a district of Bangladesh: study protocol.

Background Despite high rates of antenatal care and relatively good access to health facilities, maternal and neonatal mortality remain high in Bangladesh. There is an immediate need for implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of the intervention namely Group Prenatal Care (GPC) on utilization of standard number of antenatal care, post natal care including skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries instead of usual care. Methods The study is quasi-experimental in design. We aim to recruit 576 pregnant women (288 interventions and 288 comparisons) less than 20 weeks of gestational age. The intervention will be delivered over around 6 months. The outcome measure is the difference in maternal service coverage including ANC and PNC coverage, skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries between the intervention and comparison group. Discussion Findings from the research will contribute to improve maternal and newborn outcome in our existing health system. Findings of the research can be used for planning a new strategy and improving the health outcome for Bangladeshi women. Finally addressing the maternal health goal, this study is able to contribute to strengthening health system

ANALISIS BAHAYA DENGAN METODE HAZARD IDENTIFICATION, RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK CONTROL (HIRARC) DI LINGKUNGAN SEKOLAH DALAM UPAYA PENCEGAHAN PENYEBARAN DAN PENULARAN COVID-19

Right now the world is facing the Covid-19 outbreak virus, not least in Indonesia. This outbreak has been a pandemic since its inception at the end of 2019. The whole world is struggling to fight this pandemic, as well as in Indonesia where every struggle is increasing so much. All public places are temporarily closed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The school became one of the public places that was temporarily closed in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the school environment. There are many causes for the transmission of the Covid-19 virus and the losses that can result from the Covid-19 virus. Therefore the purpose of this study is to be able to use hazards, risks and risk control using the Danger Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) methods in the school environment. Risk identification is done by descriptive research methods, namely the results of research data and related journals available. The results of the study can be known about the activities that exist in the school environment that are needed for distribution and transmission of the Covid-19 virus. There are 14 main activities with 34 potential hazards, expected 13 activities with a high risk category and 1 activity with a high risk category. To be able to control the danger, use protection, wear a mask, always wash your hands using soap and running water and always be ready for hand sanitizer. Saat ini dunia sedang dihadapkan dengan wabah virus Covid-19, tak terkecuali di Indonesia. Wabah tersebut sudah menjadi pandemi sejak awal kemunculannya di akhir tahun 2019. Seluruh dunia sedang berjuang untuk melawan pandemi tersebut, begitu juga di Indonesia yang setiap harinya mengalami kenaikan yang begitu besar. Semua tempat umum di tutup untuk sementara untuk mencegah penyebaran virus Covid-19. Sekolah menjadi salah satu tempat umum yang ditutup untuk sementara guna untuk mencegah penyebaran virus Covid-19 di lingkungan sekolah. Terdapat banyak sekali penyebab penularan virus coviddan kerugian yang didapat dari virus Covid-19. Karena tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk dapat mengidentifikasi bahaya, penilaian risiko dan pengendalian risiko dengan menggunakan metode Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) di lingkungan sekolah. Identifikasi risiko dilaksanakan dengan metode penelitian deskriptif yaitu hasil riset data dan jurnal-jurnal terkait yang tersedia. Hasil penelitian dapat diketahui bahwa terdapat kegiatan-kegiatan yang terdapat di lingkungan sekolah yang berpotensi untuk terjadinya penyebaran dan penularan virus Covid-19. Terdapat 14 kegiatan utama dengan 34 potensi bahaya, diantaranya 13 kegiatan dengan kategori risiko ekstrim dan 1 kegiatan dengan kategori risiko tinggi. Untuk dapat mengendalikan bahaya terdapat beberapa alternatif diantaranya melakukan kegiatan belajar mengajar secara online dan mematuhi seluruh protokol kesehatan seperti menjaga jarak (Physical Distancing dan Sosial Distancing), menggunakan masker, selalu mencuci tangan menggunakan sabun dan air mengalir juga selalu membawa hand sanitizer

Group prenatal care experiences among pregnant women in a Bangladeshi community

BACKGROUND: Complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and following delivery remain significant challenges that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality, thus affecting health systems worldwide. Group prenatal care (GPC) is an integrated approach incorporating peer support and health education that provides prenatal care in a group setting. The GPC approach was piloted in a district of Bangladesh to measure the feasibility and effectiveness of GPC compared to individual care. Understanding the experiences of women of receiving this grouped care approach is crucial to understand the perspectives, perception, and acceptability of the programme among mothers, which are lack in Bangladesh. The objective of the present study was to understand the core experiences and perspectives of mothers who participated in GPC sessions during their pregnancy period. METHODS: A qualitative research approach was used to understand the experiences of women receiving GPC. A total of 21 in-depth interviews were conducted in this study targeting pregnant mothers who attended all recommended GPC sessions. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained and experienced interviewers using a specific interview guideline to achieve detailed responses. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the data. RESULTS: Mothers appreciated receiving pregnancy care in group setting and expressed their preferences towards GPC compared to individual care. Themes included the comprehensiveness of GPC, prescheduled appointments and reduced waiting time, social gathering, coping with common discomforts, relationship with service providers, birth preparedness, and recommendations from participating mothers. The themes conveyed overall positive experiences of the participating mothers, with suggestions for further betterment of the programme. Nevertheless, the reported experiences of women involved in the study suggests that the inclusion of a specialist in group care, post-partum care, and family planning advice will be more beneficial in the GPC model. CONCLUSIONS: The overall experiences of the women in the present study suggest that GPC is helpful for them, and it is useful to reduce complications during pregnancy. The GPC model promises movement towards family-supported care, as explained by the participants

Good Health at Low Cost 25 years on: lessons for the future of health systems strengthening.

In 1985, the Rockefeller Foundation published Good health at low cost to discuss why some countries or regions achieve better health and social outcomes than do others at a similar level of income and to show the role of political will and socially progressive policies. 25 years on, the Good Health at Low Cost project revisited these places but looked anew at Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which have all either achieved substantial improvements in health or access to services or implemented innovative health policies relative to their neighbours. A series of comparative case studies (2009-11) looked at how and why each region accomplished these changes. Attributes of success included good governance and political commitment, effective bureaucracies that preserve institutional memory and can learn from experience, and the ability to innovate and adapt to resource limitations. Furthermore, the capacity to respond to population needs and build resilience into health systems in the face of political unrest, economic crises, and natural disasters was important. Transport infrastructure, female empowerment, and education also played a part. Health systems are complex and no simple recipe exists for success. Yet in the countries and regions studied, progress has been assisted by institutional stability, with continuity of reforms despite political and economic turmoil, learning lessons from experience, seizing windows of opportunity, and ensuring sensitivity to context. These experiences show that improvements in health can still be achieved in countries with relatively few resources, though strategic investment is necessary to address new challenges such as complex chronic diseases and growing population expectations

Age-related Risk Factors and Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the reported symptoms and comorbidities and assess the correlation between a series of symptoms and comorbidities and age of the patients’ positive in COVID-19. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis [PROSPERO registration: CRD42020182677]. Databases [PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, WHO, Semantic Scholar, and COVID-19 Primer] were searched for clinical studies published from January to April 2020. The pooled prevalence of symptoms and comorbidities were identified using the random effect model, and the multivariable factor analysis was performed to show the correlation between a group of symptoms and comorbidities and age of the COVID-19 patients. Results: Twenty-nine articles, with 4,884 COVID-19 patients were included in this study.  Altogether, we found 33 symptoms and 44 comorbidities where the most frequent 19 symptoms and 11 comorbidities were included in the meta-analysis. The fever [84%], cough/dry cough [61%], and fatigue/weakness [42%] were found more prevalent. On the other hand, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypertension and diabetes were the most prevalent comorbid condition. The multivariable factor analysis showed positive association between a group of symptoms and comorbidities, and with the patients' age. The symptoms comprising fever, dyspnea/shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, anorexia and pharyngalgia; and the comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, COPD/lung disease and ARDS were positively correlated with the COVID-19 patient’s age. Conclusion: As a unique effort, this study found a group of symptoms and comorbidities, correlated with age of the COVID-19 patients that may help to implement patient-centred interventions

Assessing the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment from out-of-pocket payments and their determinants in Bangladesh: evidence from the nationwide Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016

Background Out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare have been increasing steadily in Bangladesh, which deteriorates the financial risk protection of many households. Methods We aimed to investigate the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment from OOP payments and their determinants. We employed nationally representative Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016 data with a sample of 46 076 households. A household that made OOP payments of >10% of its total or 40% of its non-food expenditure was considered to be facing CHE. We estimated the impoverishment using both national and international poverty lines. Multiple logistic models were employed to identify the determinants of CHE and impoverishment. Results The incidence of CHE was estimated as 24.6% and 10.9% using 10% of the total and 40% of non-food expenditure as thresholds, respectively, and these were concentrated among the poor. About 4.5% of the population (8.61 million) fell into poverty during 2016. Utilization of private facilities, the presence of older people, chronic illness and geographical location were the main determinants of both CHE and impoverishment. Conclusion The financial hardship due to OOP payments was high and it should be reduced by regulating the private health sector and covering the care of older people and chronic illness by prepayment-financing mechanisms

Effectiveness of health voucher scheme and micro-health insurance scheme to support the poor and extreme poor in selected urban areas of Bangladesh: An assessment using a mixed-method approach

Background National healthcare financing strategy recommends tax-based equity funds and insurance schemes for the poor and extreme poor living in urban slums and pavements as the majority of these population utilise informal providers resulting in adverse health effects and financial hardship. We assessed the effect of a health voucher scheme (HVS) and micro-health insurance (MHI) scheme on healthcare utilisation and out-of-pocket (OOP) payments and the cost of implementing such schemes. Methods HVS and MHI schemes were implemented by Concern Worldwide through selected NGO health centres, referral hospitals, and private healthcare facilities in three City Corporations of Bangladesh from December 2016 to March 2020. A household survey with 1,294 enrolees, key-informant interviews, focus group discussions, consultative meetings, and document reviews were conducted for extracting data on healthcare utilisation, OOP payments, views of enrolees, and suggestions of implementers, and costs of services at the point of care. Results Healthcare utilisation including maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) services, particularly from medically trained providers, was higher and OOP payments were lower among the scheme enrolees compared to corresponding population groups in general. The beneficiaries were happy with their access to healthcare, especially for MNCH services, and their perceived quality of care was fair enough. They, however, suggested expanding the benefits package, supported by an additional workforce. The cost per beneficiary household for providing services per year was €32 in HVS and €15 in MHI scheme. Conclusion HVS and MHI schemes enabled higher healthcare utilisation at lower OOP payments among the enrolees, who were happy with their access to healthcare, particularly for MNCH services. However, they suggested a larger benefits package in future. The provider’s costs of the schemes were reasonable; however, there are potentials of cost containment by purchasing the health services for their beneficiaries in a competitive basis from the market. Scaling up such schemes addressing the drawback would contribute to achieving universal health coverage