StaffCorrespondent

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar today said it is very important to have health-centric thinking in the overall development plan of the country.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a virtual meeting titled 'Access to Health Services is a Basic Human Right' on Wednesday afternoon.

"While working for the people, we understand how human rights are violated at every level through health services. For this, the health sector should be given priority at the highest level. At the same time, we have to be aware of the right to safe food.

Lack of health-centric thinking in the country's development plans are the reasons behind the lack of protein and essential nutrition of women living in rural and remote areas, antibiotic resistance among the youth, indiscriminate use of pesticides in agricultural fields, violation of right to safe food, he said.However, as a solution to these problems, it is necessary to take immediate steps to change some basic areas of health management, consider the health of both humans and animals as a basic human right in the constitution and allocate it in the budget, he said."Don't think that the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock means that ensuring the supply management of eggs, milk and fish to meet the nutritional needs is our only task. The scope of our work is much broader. Along with the health sector, human rights or fundamental rights issues are also involved.Public Health Specialist Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman was present at the webinar as a discussant. Abu Jamil Faisal, Professor of Economics Department of Dhaka University Dr. Rumana Huq, Director (Research) of BIDD Dr. Sharif Ahmed Chowdhury, Project Director of Naripokkha Samia Afrin, Director of UBINIG (Policy Research on Development Alternatives) Sima Das Shimu, Public Health Researcher and Journalist Sushanta Sinha and Member Secretary of Public Health Lawyers Network Barrister Nishat Mahmud, Member Secretary of Public Health Lawyers Network Barrister Nishat Mahmud.

Speaking during the webinar, public health expert Dr. Abu Jamil Faisal said that timely participation of different communities and people is very important to ensure the basic right to healthcare, but for this, we need to raise awareness first. Besides, the process of providing services to the people should be held accountable.Prof Dr Rumana Huq said, "For the last 10 years, our healthcare sector has been inadequate and there is no full awareness about its use. The health sector has not been given priority in the way mega projects or infrastructure development have been given priority in different budgets of the past. Depending on the geographical area, the number of people, gender, age, application of 'gender budget' in practical cases, special needs should be considered in the budget.In his speech, Barrister Nishat Mahmud urged to include some time-befitting steps and decisions to reform the existing relevant articles of the constitution.The webinar was organized by the Center for Law and Policy Affairs, Public Health Lawyers Network and Health Movement. Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam moderated it.