Our blog has moved

Please find all the latest news about the Bangladesh Health Project at our new website.

Current IUBAT Volunteer Shares Her Experiences

Nancy Stephens, a Canadian volunteer currently at IUBAT, writes about her experience with the students in the CWCH (Centre for Women and Child Health) practicum setting. "Last week, one of our male Nepalese students was working in the paediatric ward and had done some health teaching about breastfeeding [with my help] to a young mother of a pre-term infant. This teaching was a bit out of his comfort zone and definitely outside of the cultural norm for a male to talk about “breasts” to a female. However, because he acted confident and was matter-of-fact about the subject, the information we had to offer was well accepted by this young mother. The following week he was working in a very busy immunization clinic where the students do a lot of health teaching. There are various health, maternity and nutrition topics that they cover. In our post-conference he reported that many women were very receptive to his teaching about breastfeeding, especially the concept of supply and demand. He also said that one woman asked him if he could tell her when her due date was (many of these women do not obtain any antenatal care so they do not necessarily know when they are due). Since the students had recently learned how to calculate the due date he told her he would help her figure it out. It surprised him that this woman was comfortable giving him that information and I can see that it has boosted his self-confidence. He is very approachable because he has such a gentle soul, and I am glad that he is willing to push the boundaries of what is culturally acceptable in this country. It is one of those small steps forward, and I am thrilled to be a part of it all.”

IUBAT Alumni Travels Internationally Promoting Local NGO

Noor Sabez, an IUBAT graduate is now working for the NGO, Socio Economic Development Association for Disabled (SEDAD) as well as working as a community health nurse throughout Bangladesh. He writes, "My responsibilities are to lead some projects and coordinate the staff and administrative work such as proposal writing, concept note writing, report writing, letter writing to donor organizations etc. However, I am also doing community health education and a general heath checkup program to the disabled, destitute, disadvantaged, distressed and poor communities in different districts of Bangladesh. Currently we are planning to provide physiotherapy to the physically disabled persons.  I am enjoying it very much and also have some opportunity to perform internationally. I went to Italy to give a presentation in a congress about the Social Impacts on Medical Practice in Bangladesh. It was a wonderful experience in my life that I performed internationally which leads me to be more confident as I am so young. The main purposes of us to visit different countries are to do training, meeting with donor organization and giving presentation about our activities etc".

Noor is looking forward to possibly going to Japan for physiotherapy training in the coming months. Congratulations on your accomplishments Noor and best of luck in the future!

New long-term volunteer at IUBAT

Through the kind cooperation of VSO-Bangladesh, we have a new volunteer RN Jim Ofonda. Jim, who will work with IUBAT College of Nursing for two years, is originally from the Philippines where he earned an MSN. Before joining VSO-B he worked as a Clinical Instructor for six years, teaching many subjects in the nursing curriculum. At IUBAT he has been focusing on Community Health, Mental Health and Nursing Administration. Welcome Jim and thank you for your great support to our students and our volunteers.

 

Developing Advanced Nursing Education in Bangladesh Conference

In late January, IUBAT and Simon Fraser University co-sponsored a workshop hosted by the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the topic of developing advanced nursing education in Bangladesh. Over thirty delegates from private and public colleges of nursing were invited to this “Cooperative Dialogue”, as well as representatives of the Bangladesh Nursing Council and Directorate of Nursing Services.  The conference proceedings will be published shortly and posted on our website.

IUBAT Student Excels

RN Firoza Khatun completed her diploma in nursing at a government nurse training institute. While working at Sajida Hospital in south Dhaka, she met IUBAT graduate Bimala Rai, who encouraged Firoza to complete a BSN at IUBAT. With bursary support from Bangladesh Health Project donations, Firoza was able to leave her job to become a full-time student. Since starting at IUBAT she has attained excellent marks in her first two semesters, earning university scholarships. Well done, Firoza!

IUBAT Progress

The IUBAT campus has continued to expand facilities with its fifth and sixth floors now under construction. In addition to the new Nursing Lab, there are new, well-equipped facilities for the agriculture, tourism and engineering programs. Demand for higher education is very strong in Bangladesh due to the large youth population. IUBAT Vice-Chancellor, Dr. M. Alimullah Miyan says that the university has come close to achieving its goal of recruiting students from all rural districts of the country. He has pioneered the concept of Knowledge-Based Area Development, which aims to strengthen community self-reliance by giving young men and women the opportunity to acquire marketable skills through higher education. Dr. Miyan explains that, “Graduates are expected to make efforts to pull up their family, neighbours and the village community through access to knowledge for social and economic development.” Various programs at IUBAT provide financial support for academically eligible students experiencing hardship.

Student Event

Each year, IUBAT Nursing students support the campus blood donation program operated by Quantum Foundation. Students help organize the event, promoting wide participation, and supporting the technologists who perform the phlebotomies and draw blood. These photos show the event MC, Sailesh Bhandari, a senior BSN student who is also President of the IUBAT Nursing Society, and College of Nursing senior faculty member RN Shamsun Nahar who  coordinates the student activities.

Student Nurse Shares in Mat/Child Health Care Knowledge Exchange

Morgan Nealy, a fourth year nursing student from the University of Vermont, just finished her practicum in Bangladesh with a group of fellow students led by returning professor Dr. Rycki Maltby. The group visits a number of sites including IUBAT and the Center for Women and Child Health in Dhaka, which is also a clinical placement for IUBAT nursing students. Nealy, who is passionate about neonatal nursing, describes her experience at CWCH with great enthusiasm.

"Upon visiting CWCH in Dhaka, I was excited to learn more about their methods for handling premature and low birth-weight infants.  During pediatric rounds, we visited the unit containing this patient population.  The attending physician and I had a long conversation about the similarities and differences of care of these infants in the U.S. versus care of these infants in Bangladesh.  Given the limited resources they possess, their survival rate of 32+ week babies is incredible.  The physician I spoke with was clearly proud of the work they do at CWCH, and how they are able to adapt with limited resources to give these infants a fighting chance.  I was extremely impressed by my visit, and it is something that will always stick with me.  Seeing a mother peel back five fleece blankets to reveal her 3-kilogram baby, a true survivor, was absolutely inspiring.  The involvement of the families was absolutely spectacular.  It serves as another reminder that money and resources aren’t everything in healthcare – compassion and a drive to save lives is much more important.  I look forward to bringing this new perspective into my practice in my senior practicum this semester and as a new nurse."

International Seminar Discusses Need to Improve Nursing Education in Bangladesh

The national newspaper of Bangladesh, The Daily Star, printed an article highlighting the need to improve nursing education in Bangladesh in order to improve the standards of care in the country. An international seminar titled “ESL and social media for professionals: Focus on global health education” was held in Bangladesh and professionals from around the world discussed the need to improve the social stigma of nursing, to educate nurses in English and to educate nurses to meet international standards. Click this link to read the full article Better Medicare with Better Nurses.

Bangladesh Health Project makes news in the Globe and Mail

The excellent work the Bangladesh Health Project does in the nursing program made news in the Globe and Mail in August 2012. Dr. John Richards, Alex Berland and Dr. Karen Lund are all quoted along with several BC based nurses that have volunteered with the organization. Volunteer Lynn Buhler who is the director of community health with Vancouver Coastal Health "was struck by the students' drive and commitment to the profession during her six-week rotation this past summer."
To read more, click this link Volunteers Change Nursing in Bangladesh.

We will miss you, Sonie!

We are sorry to lose our long-serving faculty member, RN Sonie Meyer. Sonie is a US nurse who volunteered with IUBAT College of Nursing for five years as a clinical instructor, supervising medical-surgical nursing students at Apollo and United Hospitals. In the photo she is at United Hospital with students and visiting faculty member Brenda Hutton. She is also an American Heart Association instructor who certified our students in CPR each year. The second photo shows her in hands-on practice at IUBAT.

All the students loved Sonie for her patience and competence and dedication to seeking new learning experiences for them. Sonie is leaving with her family for a new assignment in Ethiopia. We are very grateful for her dedicated support of IUBAT students. We will miss you, Sonie, and wish you all the best in the future.

Seeking Technical Support, Advice and Experiences in the Areas of Nursing Curriculum Development and Integration

We have now completed the start-up for this project and graduated several cohorts of students. Our next step is to develop our BSN program resources so they can be used by other educators. We have already created lectures, academic policies, evaluation materials and clinical practice tools; these materials could be useful in other low-resource settings. (IUBAT is an English-medium institution.) At this stage our curriculum material is not ready to be shared, because it has been prepared for a specific situation. Our intent is to make our resources more user-friendly so they can be distributed more widely. What we are seeking is technical support, advice and experiences in the areas of nursing curriculum development and integration. We are also seeking expert advice to set up a Creative Commons license that enables sharing of the resources. If you can help us with this work, please contact us directly at: info@bangladeshhealthproject.com

Two Time IUBAT Volunteer Continues her Work in Bangladesh

Permjit Soomal volunteered with IUBAT in the fall of 2011 and again in the winter of 2012 as part of her practicum experiences for her Masters of Nursing (nurse educator option). She has now graduated and continues her work in Bangladesh with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as a Canadian Teaching and Pedagogy Specialist – Clinical Supervision Specialist. She is responsible for setting up training programs for nursing instructors in pedagogy as well as setting up and training clinical supervisors for diploma nursing students. 

The University of Victoria recognized her efforts in their newsletter, The Ring. Soomal is quoted saying “I wanted to create and support programs that will help alleviate poverty and improve health.” She believes “nursing education does both.” To read more of this article titled Grad Shares Nursing Expertise in Bangladesh, open this link. To view Soomal’s blog where she shares more reflections and details about her experiences, visit Permjit's Postcards.

Good luck Permjit in your future endevours!

 

Testament to the Commitment of the IUBAT Nursing Students

Christine Eugenio, RN, completed her final preceptoriship through Vancouver Community College at IUBAT and describes the experience as life changing. " Because of the rich experience I had, I feel I am better equipped as a nurse to inquire into the diverse health care needs of patients based on socio-economic, political, and cultural perspectives." 
She was moved by the IUBAT nursing students ability and dedication, "It was inspiring to see student nurse leaders at IUBAT show commitment to nursing excellence in Bangladesh through research and community involvement.  IUBAT nursing students showed unparalleled resilience and adaptability as they work through an international nursing curriculum. Working with IUBAT nursing students was such a positive and humbling experience. We worked together in various activities which included health assessments for IUBAT students and faculty and for underprivileged school-aged children at School of Hope. The success of those activities showed the crucial role of nurses in community health and helped foster a positive image of nursing in Bangladesh. The success was also a testament to IUBAT nursing students’ strong nursing foundation, determination, and perseverance. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from, share nursing knowledge and experiences with, and to work alongside the future nurse leaders who are bound to change the face of nursing in Bangladesh."  

Volunteer Experience Positively Impacts Vancouver Nurse

Amy Hall, a Vancouver based occupational health researcher with UBC, volunteered with IUBAT last summer. She writes, "I knew this experience would change the way I saw the world, but not how. It made me realize why people love 1) teaching, and 2) Bangladesh. Because I hadn’t practiced as a nurse in a clinical setting for several years and had never visited the country, I wasn’t sure how my role as a course instructor in IUBAT’s nursing program would go. It turned out to be an amazing teaching and learning experience. One of the most inspiring parts was interacting with IUBAT nursing students at various stages of their education, and seeing the lengths they went to develop confidence and competence in both clinical and academic environments. It made me feel like I was contributing (in a small way) to something of huge importance, for the students as well as the Bangladeshi society. While I watch Bangladesh's nursing profession grow, I know that this program’s graduates will be leading the way. The friendliness, hospitality and strong capabilities of the Bangladeshi people have left a permanent mark on me, and I will always look back on my IUBAT experience with fondness."

4 Minute Video on Bangladesh

Elaborating on the article The Path Through the Fields posted earlier, The Economist created a short video displaying the health and social gains by Bangladesh despite the slow economic development in the country.

Global Health Worker Shortage

Demonstrated in an interactive graphic by The Guardian, the World Health Organization considers 57 countries to have a critical health worker shortage. View the link below to compare these 57 countries with the UK and the USA in terms of health worker per capita (nurses and doctors), infant mortality, maternal mortality and number of births attended by a skilled birth attendant.
Open the link to view: Global Health Worker Shortage

Article Published in The Economist Highlights Bangaldesh's Social Strengths

Last week The Economist devoted one of its lead editorials and its briefing section to an extended discussion of Bangladesh society. Emphasis was put on the role of NGOs, on the role of women, and on the importance of achieving decent education and health outcomes.

Here are a few quotes from the editorial:

"In the past 20 years, Bangladesh has made extraordinary improvements in almost every indicator of human welfare. The average Bangladeshi can now expect to live four years longer than the average Indian, though Indians are twice as rich. Girls’ education has soared, and the country has hugely reduced the numbers of early deaths of infants, children and mothers. Some of these changes are among the fastest social improvements ever seen. Remarkably, the country has achieved all this even though economic growth, until recently, has been sluggish and income has risen only modestly."

"Bangladesh shows what happens if you take women seriously as agents of development. When the country became independent, population-control policies were all the rage (this was the period of China’s one-child policy and India’s forced sterilisations). Happily lacking the ability to impose such savage restrictions, the government embarked instead upon a programme of voluntary family planning. It was stunningly successful. It not only halved the rate of fertility within a generation, but also increased women’s influence within their own households. For the first time, wives controlled the size of families."

"…the textile industry took off—and four-fifths of its workers are female. Bangladesh was also the home of microcredit, tiny loans for the poorest. By design, these go to women. Thus, over the past two decades women have earned greater influence in the home and more financial autonomy. And, as experience from round the world shows, women spend their money differently from men: typically, on their children’s food, health and education. Child welfare has been underpinned by a quiet revolution in the role of women."

To View the full article, visit: 
The Economist: The Path Through the Fields

Opportunities for Posterity, a Bengali Not-for-Profit Social Welfare Organization, Awards Scholarships and Health Supports to Local Citizens.

On October 28^th, Opportunities for Posterity (OfP) awarded various scholarships and health supports at its office and computer literacy center located in the village of Balagram of Jaldhaka under Nilphamari district, also known as the famine region of Bangladesh. Depending on financial needs, scholarships ranging from 600-3500 taka ($7 - $42Cnd) were given to students as well as Health Supports from 600-1100 taka ($7 to $13Cnd) were given to laborers. OfP’s chairman and founder, Mr. Md Rabiul Islam, was present to distribute the scholarships and to meet the beneficiaries. At the ceremony he introduced the organization by saying, “OfP is running a distinguished program that utilizes local resources through investments in agro-business to benefit the impoverished communities and to promote technology based education and agricultural productivity so as to ensure a better world for posterity. OfP's working priorities include poverty, food & nutrition, education, technology, agriculture & environment, income generation, health services, sanitation and the like”.

In addition, OfP is also funding a rice mill to be completed by December 2012 and a literacy center, which benefits hundreds of families in the area. In the future, the organization hopes to open a Polytechnic Institute to provide access to technical education, free of cost, to thousands of students.

OfP is strengthening community resilience through sustainable programs that use local resources allowing small investments go a long way. To learn more, visit their website at http://www.ofpbd.org/