20th founding anniv of BRAC JPGSPH

Researchers, academicians, and public health professionals yesterday paid tribute to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and Dr Richard A Cash for their pioneering roles in expanding public health services and education in Bangladesh.

These two notable personalities were remembered on the 20th founding anniversary of The BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health (BRAC JPGSPH) at BRAC University.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC JPGSPH in 2004, which has since become a leading institution in the public health sector. Speakers highlighted the collaboration between BRAC and BRAC JPGSPH, which has provided affordable solutions for a wide range of issues such as menstrual health, maternal health, oral rehydration therapy, and neonatal and early childhood nutrition.

Along this journey, Sir Abed closely collaborated with his long-time friend Dr Richard A. Cash, an American global health researcher and public health physician who pioneered and popularized oral rehydration therapy in Bangladesh. This simple treatment of salt, sugar, and water has saved more than 50 million lives globally from deadly diseases like Cholera.

"Sir Abed founded this school in 2004 so that public health educators and researchers can be developed in Bangladesh and they can innovate affordable and localised public health solutions for the country," said Professor Dr Martha Chen. "People don't have to go to England or the USA anymore to study subjects like tropical medicine or public health thanks to Sir Abed's visionary thinking," she added.

Dr Lincoln C Chen, former president of China Medical Board, said, "The school upholds Sir Fazle Hasan Abed's vision and commitment to advancing public health education through community-cantered experiential learning."

Jon E Rohde, Senior Lown Scholar at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, remarked, "Richard was a public health genius and Abed was a management genius. Both of them were experts at resolving complex problems through simple, affordable, and practical health solutions."

The conference also addressed various issues and challenges in Bangladesh's public health sector. Asif Saleh, Executive Director of BRAC, said, "The challenges in our health systems, including high out-of-pocket expenses, shifting disease patterns, and climate change, are immense… We need systems that are not only capable of tackling health emergencies but are also accountable and inclusive."

Dr Laura Reichenbach, Dean of BRAC JPGSPH, stated, "Over the last 20 years, we have grounded our work across education, training, research, and impact, empowering professionals, informing policies, and fostering community-driven solutions to tackle pressing public health challenges such as inaccessibility of health services, high costs, unavailability of skilled service providers, and lack of research."

"We shall continue our efforts to redesign the national and regional landscape of public health by ensuring justice, equity, and inclusion in the sector," she added.