United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Derrick S. Brown has launched USAID's flagship tuberculosis (TB) activity Alliance for Combating Tuberculosis in Bangladesh (ACTB) in Sylhet Division as part of the US government's commitment to end TB globally, reports UNB.
Brown concluded his three-day visit to Sylhet region on Tuesday observing key USAID activities complementing the government of Bangladesh's Covid-19 response efforts.
"It's an honour to meet dedicated doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and other health workers, and learn how they continue to tirelessly serve people. I feel proud USAID is helping to build the capacity of health workers and improve delivery of health services," Mission Director Brown said.
During his visit, Brown met government officials, frontline health care providers, and programme participants.
At the 100-bed Narsingdi District Hospital the Mission Director met 20 doctors and nurses who participated in the USAID-supported training on infection control and case management to effectively respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
They represent a handful of the 20,000 doctors and nurses, across Bangladesh, who received Covid-19 related training made possible through funding (OR assistance) from USAID.
In Sylhet Sadar, Brown together with Prof. (Dr.) Md. Shamiul Islam, Line Director of the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP), visited the Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment Center (TB STC) to observe the ongoing TB services amid coronavirus outbreak.
Due to the Covid-19 situation, there has been a decrease in the reporting of TB cases across the country, said the US Embassy in Dhaka.
USAID's ACTB activity works closely with both formal and informal private service providers to refer suspected TB cases to the TB STC.
Brown also visited the Regional TB reference laboratory (RTRL) in Sylhet, the first and only containerised Biosafety level-3 laboratory for TB in Bangladesh planned, built, and installed with US government assistance, through USAID, and transferred to the Bangladesh government in August 2018.
At the Smiling Sun Clinic in Moulvibazar, managed by the SurjerHashi Network (SHN) through USAID's Advancing Universal Health Coverage (AUHC) activity, Mission Director Brown observed how essential health services continue to be provided during the ongoing pandemic.
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