The Story of Md. Razanul Hassan
“I am Md. Razanul Hassan, completed my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in public health and informatics from Jahangirnagar University. I have recently recommended as a family planning cadre in the 41st Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination.
In my opinion, belonging to an ever-growing developing megacity, it is inevitable that Bangladesh is urbanizing at an unprecedented rate with poverty and unemployment, as well as issues like climate change, make it further obvious. Now, with the rapid growth of industrialization and urbanization, health-related adverse effects are bound to occur more frequently. In cities, not only the oligarchs and highbrows settle, but also the slum dwellers become an integral part of the urban system.
Therefore, two very different types of problems can arise: lack of physical exercise, intake of processed foods or genetically modified foods (GMOs), and noisy environments can have hazardous impacts on both physical and mental health, on the other hand, malnutrition, unhygienic and improper sanitation, and a lack of basic health services etc. everlasting problems that are faced by people living in inferior conditions or slums. Added to this, air pollution and limited access to clean water also contribute largely to respiratory issues and waterborne diseases. Asthma and respiratory infections among the city's residents are common due to high levels of particulate matter (PM) and other pollutants from traffic, industries, and construction-related services.
As a concerned city resident, I would like to suggest that collaborative efforts between the government, NGOs, and communities are necessary to mitigate urban health-related problems. Measures involve ensuring better water quality through rock-solid sanitation and sewage systems, reducing pollution, implementing green spaces, building environmentally friendly infrastructure using eco-friendly materials, and promoting more and more public health campaigns. By prioritizing these initiatives, we can dream of living in a city that not only flourishes economically but also safeguards the well-being and vitality of our inhabitants for future generations.
Finally, Bangladesh Urban Health Network (BUHN), being one of the finest organizations that has been continuously working on urban health, can certainly play a massive role in ensuring better quality of services regarding city-centric health-related problems. BUHN, as an organization, should not just be confined to developing public awareness at the community level; they also need to participate in policymaking, encouraging government organizations and NGO's to take mandatory actions to ensure sustainable solutions related to urban health.
