Zafrullah Chowdhury
Encyclopedia
Zafrullah Chowdhury is a Bangladesh
i public health activist. He is the founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra (meaning the People's Health Center in Bengali
), a rural healthcare organization. Dr. Chowdhury is known more for his work in formulating the Bangladesh
National Drug Policy in 1982.
. He was one of ten children born to his parents. After attending Nabakumar School at Bakshibazar, he studied at Dhaka College
. He studied medicine at Dhaka Medical College, where he got involved with leftist political ideologies. As the general secretary of the Dhaka Medical College students’ union, he held a press conference to expose the corruption at the hospital. After a turbulent student life, he finished his MBBS
degree in 1964 and left for the UK for post-graduate studies in general and vascular surgery. In 1971 when the independence war
started, he returned home.
He was involved in setting up the 480-bed Bangladesh Field Hospital for freedom fighters and the refugees. The hospital was run by a team of Bangladeshi doctors, medical students and volunteers. Women with no previous training in healthcare were trained within days to help out the patients. This experience in the field hospital led him to believe that an effective healthcare delivery system can be developed in rural Bangladesh by training women as a primary healthcare delivery platform. This achieved worldwide credibility when it was eventually published in The Lancet
.
. The center focuses on providing basic healthcare to the rural areas. The center also runs a university, vocational training center, agricultural cooperatives, hospital, a printing press, community schools and a generic drug manufacturing plant. Gonoshasthaya Kendra has been very successful in providing family planning services, lowering maternal, infant mortality rates. Though limited in its reach, it pioneered the introduction of cheaper generic drugs. In 1973, Gonoshasthaya Kendra introduced a Rural Healthcare Insurance System, the first of its kind in Bangladesh
.
Critiques have pointed out that rather than being national, the center's reach has been confined to specific areas. However, Zafrullah Chowdhury believes that public health is a state matter, it can never be left to the private sector.
National drug policy changed all that. Following WHO
guidelines for the developing countries, the policy restricted manufacturing and import of number of drugs to 225. It emphasized on manufacturing of generic drugs and manufacturing them locally. The result has been the wider availability of drugs at drastically reduced prices. And today, Bangladesh
has turned into a drug exporting country.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i public health activist. He is the founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra (meaning the People's Health Center in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
), a rural healthcare organization. Dr. Chowdhury is known more for his work in formulating the Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
National Drug Policy in 1982.
Early life and career
He spent his early childhood in Kolkata and later his family settled in DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. He was one of ten children born to his parents. After attending Nabakumar School at Bakshibazar, he studied at Dhaka College
Dhaka College
, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's earliest and most prestigious higher educational institutions. It offers both four years bachelor's and one years masters course in various majors, but it is best known for HSC...
. He studied medicine at Dhaka Medical College, where he got involved with leftist political ideologies. As the general secretary of the Dhaka Medical College students’ union, he held a press conference to expose the corruption at the hospital. After a turbulent student life, he finished his MBBS
MBBS
MBBS was a popular BBS system in the Nordic countries during the mid-1990s. It was created by a team of Oslo-based enthusiasts, led by Mike Robertson. As many BBS systems of that era, it was only available for the DOS platform. Since one process could only handle one node, multitaskers such as...
degree in 1964 and left for the UK for post-graduate studies in general and vascular surgery. In 1971 when the independence war
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
started, he returned home.
He was involved in setting up the 480-bed Bangladesh Field Hospital for freedom fighters and the refugees. The hospital was run by a team of Bangladeshi doctors, medical students and volunteers. Women with no previous training in healthcare were trained within days to help out the patients. This experience in the field hospital led him to believe that an effective healthcare delivery system can be developed in rural Bangladesh by training women as a primary healthcare delivery platform. This achieved worldwide credibility when it was eventually published in The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra
In 1972 Dr. Chowdhury setup the Gonoshasthaya Kendra. Actually the idea was introduced in a concept paper titled, ‘Basic Health Care in Rural Bangladesh’ in DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. The center focuses on providing basic healthcare to the rural areas. The center also runs a university, vocational training center, agricultural cooperatives, hospital, a printing press, community schools and a generic drug manufacturing plant. Gonoshasthaya Kendra has been very successful in providing family planning services, lowering maternal, infant mortality rates. Though limited in its reach, it pioneered the introduction of cheaper generic drugs. In 1973, Gonoshasthaya Kendra introduced a Rural Healthcare Insurance System, the first of its kind in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Critiques have pointed out that rather than being national, the center's reach has been confined to specific areas. However, Zafrullah Chowdhury believes that public health is a state matter, it can never be left to the private sector.
National Drug Policy
Dr. Chowdury gained prominence by being the driving force in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982. Before that, 4,000 commercial drugs were available in the market, mostly manufactured by the multi-national companies or imported from abroad. Most of the drugs were out of reach for majority of the people. Some of these drugs were unnecessary and even dangerous whereas the most essential 150 remained in short supply.National drug policy changed all that. Following WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
guidelines for the developing countries, the policy restricted manufacturing and import of number of drugs to 225. It emphasized on manufacturing of generic drugs and manufacturing them locally. The result has been the wider availability of drugs at drastically reduced prices. And today, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
has turned into a drug exporting country.
Awards
- 2002 - International Public Health Heroes Award, UC Berkeley, U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 1977 - Independence Day AwardIndependence Day AwardThe Independence Day Award , also termed Independence Award , is the highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh. Introduced in 1977, this award is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organizations in recognition of substantial contribution to one of many fields, including the War...
, BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... - 1992 - Right Livelihood AwardRight Livelihood AwardThe Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... - 1985 - Ramon Magsaysay AwardRamon Magsaysay AwardThe Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for Community Leadership, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... - 1974 - Swedish Youth Peace Prize