Pre-conception care through religious leaders (Marriage registrar/Kazis)

  • Goal: to improve community awareness on preconception care and prevention of NCDs, particularly GDM among newly married couples of Bangladesh through religious leaders 
  • Target people: Newly married couples, Religious leaders (Kazis) and Health service providers (Physicians, Nurses and Educators) 
  • Collaboration patterns: Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Law and Justice Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
  • The program has also got support from the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, Ministry of Information, Rotary Club of Ramna, Bangladesh Girl Guides Association, and Novo Nordisk for its universal implication. 
  • Funding: World Diabetes Foundation
  • Status: ongoing 
  • website: pcc-badas.org

Activities 

  • Trained 400 Marriage Registers (Kazis). 
  • Trained 300 Health Professionals (Physicians, Nurses, and Diabetes Educators).
  • Established 60 preconception care corners in 60 centers/ hospitals of BADAS 
  • A total of 30000 couples has already been provided counseling by the trained religious leaders.  
  • Develop an online certificate course. It is linked with IDF Education Library. Now anyone from any part of the world can take part in PCC online certificate program.
  • South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies (SAFES) has endorsed the education program on preconception care. 
  • Develop a consensus guideline for preconception care. 
  • One-page information of pre-conception care has now been included in the general guidebook of BADAS.

Landmark Achievement

  • The National Council of BADAS has taken pre-conception care as one of the core programs of the Association. 
  • BADAS has launched a pre-conception counseling package at a minimum cost (600 Taka). 
  • Around 2000 women in reproductive age taken the preconception care package. 
  • Honorable President, Honorable Prime Minister, Honorable Minister of Health, and Family Welfare of Govt. of Bangladesh have endorsed the preconception care and planned pregnancy. 
  • WDF has published two cover stories about Preconception Care Project. 
  • BADAS has also launched a national campaign “Healthy Mother- Health Children- Healthy National: All Pregnancy Should be Planned.” 
  • Ministry of Law has passed a new law for Kazis for providing preconception care message to the newly married couple, and a seal must imprint the slogan (Healthy Mother- Healthy Child- Healthy Nation – All Pregnancy Should be Planned) of the program in the marriage contract (Kabin Nama). 
  • It will help to meet SDG goals 3, 5, 11. 
  • The success story of the PCC program discussed in the 3rd UN High-level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases. 
  • Status: ongoing