IntraHealth International

Because Health Workers Save Lives

Where We Work > Asia > Bangladesh

Bangladesh

For over a decade, IntraHealth International collaborated with the Bangladesh government as well as local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to strengthen national training and education systems in order to expand high-quality primary care in rural and urban areas. Working through the PRIME I and PRIME II projects and the NGO Service Delivery Project (NSDP), IntraHealth assisted Bangladesh’s National Integrated Population and Health Program to employ innovative training and learning approaches and improve health worker performance.

IntraHealth worked in close collaboration with the Bangladesh government’s Health and Population Sector Program to develop a national in-service training strategy and to create the tools needed to realize this strategy. These tools included national training guidelines, training curricula, monitoring and evaluation plans, and a computerized training management information system. With this support, Bangladeshi health workers can better deliver an essential package of health services, which includes family planning services, care for sexually transmitted infections, pre- and post-natal care, skilled delivery care, and pediatric and newborn care.

IntraHealth also worked with local NGOs that formed the Smiling Sun Network of clinics to promote high-quality care by introducing improved training methods and training-of-trainers programs, and by developing a computerized training information system. IntraHealth also assisted in developing training materials for distance learning and a refresher training curricula for paramedics and doctors attending home births. The training curricula focused on identifying and referring women with complications and providing active management of the third stage of labor, a proven practice to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, which is a leading cause of maternal death.

Achievements (1999–2008)

Trained over 45,000 health workers in three years to offer a package of essential health services using a national training strategy, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
Strengthened capacity of national training organizations by introducing the Performance Improvement methodology, strengthening supportive supervision, developing curricula and materials, and improving the documentation and tracking of provider training
Helped develop geographically dispersed training institutions by working with hospitals throughout the country to provide health workers with training closer to home and at a lower cost
Improved performance of NGO service providers by updating training materials and curricula, improving performance of trainers and preceptors, and strengthening the training management
Contributed to the scale-up of integrated management of childhood illness in the NGO sector by reaching providers with training and post-training support in 317 NGO clinics under the banner of Smiling Sun and introducing community integrated management of childhood illness in nearly 150 communities. Smiling Sun clinics reported over 4.5 million child contacts per year, and providers demonstrated improved quality of care in treating sick children.
Helped implement the government of Bangladesh tuberculosis control program in selected Smiling Sun clinics in urban areas. Clinics reached and maintained an 88% treatment success rate. This work was done in support of the Bangladeshi government through the NGO Service Delivery Project.
Helped 33 local and national NGOs become quality providers of family planning and reproductive health and maternal and child health care by working with NGO managers and providers to strengthen training, workforce planning, supervision, logistics, and monitoring systems.