In Bangladesh, limited health education, particularly among women, poses significant challenges to public health — but community Health Leaders like Ferdousi can help turn things around.

Recent studies show that 66% of women encounter at least one barrier when accessing healthcare services in Bangladesh. These obstacles include financial constraints (43%), distance to health facilities (40%), and lack of companionship (45%). Notably, only 12% of women have sole decision-making autonomy regarding their healthcare too, meaning many won't access traditional healthcare when they need it.

Health education plays a pivotal role in improving healthcare outcomes. Between 2004 and 2018, Bangladesh saw a 62% reduction in mothers with no education. This improvement in female education has had a significant positive impact on the country's health indicators.

Opportunity International Australia, through our work with local partners, is addressing these challenges through its Health Leader program. This initiative trains women to become leaders in health, delivering essential health education in their communities. These leaders focus on areas such as sanitation, women's health, menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth.

The program not only enhances community health but also empowers women, fostering autonomy and leadership.

Ferdousi' story

Ferdousi lives in Northern Bangladesh with her daughters, Sadia (17) and Sweety (15), who suffer from anemia, irregular menstruation, and frequent illnesses. Unaware of reliable health advice, Ferdousi resorted to ineffective remedies from local pharmacies, which didn't help improve her daughters' symptoms.

It wasn't until her Health Leader training, facilitated through Opportunity's local partners, that she learned about how to treat menstrual hygiene, through nutrition and supplements. With an increase in health knowledge, she bought her daughters iron tablets and educated them on menstrual health, leading to marked health improvements for Sadia and Sweety.

Beyond her family, Ferdousi has positively influenced her community by educating expectant mothers about necessary check-ups and offering training on child and adolescent health, nutrition, menstrual and reproductive health, neonatal care, and the importance of vaccinations. “Many mothers have become more aware and they are very happy to have such a program in our area,” said Ferdousi.

Now my daughters are less sick, and they are mentally and physically healthy. Not only my family, I have changed all the families of my village, and made them aware. I am proud to be a Health Leader." - Ferdousi

With Health Leaders like Ferdousi bringing healthcare and training to communities, we're enhancing health education and outcomes in Bangladesh, particularly for women in rural areas.

Last year, 768,849 people were supported by Health Leaders and Health Entrepreneurs in Asia. Learn more about how Health Leaders are improving community outcomes across Asia.