Bangladesh’s health sector is faced with an inadequate number of medical personnel and technical capacity of health resources to carry out public health functions. Therefore, in the Plan program unit Hatibandha Plan and its partner organisations have trained and supported community health workers, professional health workers and traditional birth attendants. They have received training on primary health care, clinical services, reproductive health, essential care for newborn babies, etc.

Plan has increased the knowledge and skills of the traditional birth attendants who already work in the communities. The health assistants maintain contact with the traditional birth attendants. They visit the families and provide information about nutrition, hygiene and health. Traditional birth attendants and health assistants have identified patients in the community and, if required, referred them to the community clinics.

The community based organisations have selected the community health workers. Plan made sure that the families accept the medical personnel. It is important that the families have easy access to the services provided by the health workers. Around 21,000 mothers and children have benefit from the improved quality of the health service.