Staff Correspondent

For enhanced service delivery of health, nutrition, and family planning services through the community health system, a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Community Clinic Health Support Trust (CCHST) and CARE Bangladesh at Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) in Dhaka.

This is a milestone activity for USAID’s Community Nutrition and Health Activity (CNHA) which aims to sustainably impact the nutrition and health outcomes of women and children in their first 1000 days.

Through this MoU, CNHA will work with community clinics to improve the quality of services and strengthen the existing institutional structures of community health systems for nutrition outcomes and integrated quality of services, including core teams, community groups (CG), and community support groups (CSG).

Ramesh Singh, country director, CARE Bangladesh, and Md Abdus Samad, managing director (additional secretary), CCHST, HSD, MoHFW, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.

"I am a freedom fighter and after liberation, I coordinated with CARE Bangladesh in healthcare services during the rehabilitation phase. That experience allows me to strongly relate to CARE. I firmly believe that community clinics offer boundless opportunities to serve marginalized populations," shared Prof Syed Modasser Ali, chairman of the CCHST Board and advisor to the prime minister, as the chief guest of the signing ceremony.

Md Rafiqul Islam, deputy secretary, CCHST, HSD, MoHFW, gave the introductory remark and welcome speech.

The event was also joined by Prof Md Quiume Talukder, line director, CBHC, Md Abdur Salam, joint secretary, MoHFW, Fatima-Tuz-Johora, deputy secretary, MoHFW, Mohammad Ali Reja, deputy chief of party, CNHA, Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, director, MEL, CNHA, Md Abu Hasan Ali, senior technical advisor, CNHA, Mizanur Rahman, senior team leader, JANO, along with high officials from CARE Bangladesh.