Healthcare

 

The free healthcare we provide for children and their families not only improves the overall health of the community, but also provides a huge incentive for parents to keep their children in full time education. 

More than 60% of Bangladeshis – about 85 million people – have no access to modern health services. With no national healthcare, basic medical care is expensive and inaccessible to the poor. Home to an estimated 4m people, the Dhaka slums have the highest incidents of malnutrition-related illnesses among children in the world. Research has shown that early-stage medical intervention not only significantly reduces the development of chronic illnesses, but improves overall mental and intellectual well-being in young children. As such, Children’s Hope is committed to providing clean, comprehensive medical care to Dhaka’s slum communities, helping to ensure better chances for local children and their families to thrive.

‘We believe denying basic healthcare is a violation of human rights.’

Dr. Farhana Ali - Chief Medical Officer

Our Initiatives

  • WATER PURIFICATION SCHEME

    Unclean drinking water in slum areas poses serious health risks. Children’s Hope has taken the initiative to distribute water purifying tablets and establish training courses for local families on how to make water safer to drink.

  • WALK-IN CLINICS

    Our healthcare provision includes a drop-in service at our doctors’ clinic four days a week for health check-ups, medical tests, free prescriptions, and referrals to specialised consultants.

  • PREGNANCY SCHEME

    Children’s Hope launched its Pregnancy Scheme to support local women while they are pregnant. Pregnancy is an extremely vulnerable time for both mother and child, and Children’s Hope understands how vital consistent care and nutrition is for a safe delivery. We provide regular free check-ups and key nutritional supplements for all pregnant women accessing our scheme.

  • VACCINATION

    Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious disease. Children’s Hope has successfully arranged vaccination programmes, in partnership with Glaxo Smith & Kline (GSK) against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Typhoid, for all sponsored children.

  • NUTRITION PROGRAMME

    Bangladesh has the highest prevalence of child malnutrition in the world. Children's Hope launched a nutritional intervention programme in 2007 to tackle the adverse impact malnutrition has on childhood physical and cognitive development and give our sponsored students the best chance for academic and personal success.

  • DEWORMING CAMPAIGN

    Parasitic infections cause severe health issues with particularly devastating effects on young children. In an effort to combat this, each year, Children's Hope conducts a Deworming Campaign, distributing anti-worming medication to all sponsored students and their families.

Read about how our wide range of activities has created once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for children and families in Dhaka’s slums. 

Featured
I am Salma - mother of my disabled child Liz. This is my story.
I am Salma - mother of my disabled child Liz. This is my story.

Liz was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and speech delay from birth.  Recently she developed convulsions and was admitted to the local children's hospital immediately as organised by CH doctor.

CT scans of her brain showed that she had developed generalises cerebral Atrophy. Liz received immediate treatment and was put on expensive medication, which is also provided by Children’s Hope on a monthly bases.

Children’s Hope Acute Care service enabled Liz to be diagnosed and treated without delay,  this is important to minimise further health complications.

I cannot express how grateful I am to the acute care action of Children’s Hope health care program.

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"Today I am free of Cancer" - Joynab Bibi
"Today I am free of Cancer" - Joynab Bibi

Joynab Bibi is the 40-year-old mother of a Children’s Hope student. In 2006, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer but could not afford the necessary and expensive radiotherapy treatment she needed. She received nearly US$400 (£326) under the Scheme for Life-Threatening Cases to pay for her treatment and also to give her regular access to a top gynaecologist for her follow-ups. The charity helped her as she battled the illness, which left her unable to care properly for her family and home. Fortunately, today she is well and free of cancer.

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Habibur Rahman, diagnosed at age 12, with rheumatic fever
Habibur Rahman, diagnosed at age 12, with rheumatic fever

“Shortly before Habibur Rahman became a sponsored Children’s Hope student, he was diagnosed, aged 12,  with rheumatic fever. However he didn’t receive proper treatment and by the time he was 24 years-old, and a second-year university student, he developed difficulty in breathing. Then he consulted a Children’s Hope doctor (he was a sponsored child from 2002) who referred him to a consultant doctor, he was diagnosed with life-threatening rheumatic heart disease. Habibur had a three-month course of treatment at the National Institute of Cardiac Vascular Disease Hospital, but his condition didn’t improve – and surgery, by then, was the only option. He received over $3,000 (£2450) for full treatment from Children’s Hope and underwent open heart surgery. As his home in a slum was not a suitable place to recover from major surgery, he remained in hospital to recuperate. All the costs were funded by Children’s Hope. At present his condition is good, and he receives regular check-ups and medication. Thanks to the intervention, Habibur was able to graduate in management in 2012 and now runs a grocery business, which helps support him, his parents and four brothers who live with him in Dhaka.”

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