Introduction Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) are some of the most prevailing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide and cause three times higher morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) than in developed nations. In Bangladesh, there is a dearth of data about the quality of CRD management in health facilities. This study aims to describe CRD service availability and readiness at all tiers of health facilities using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) tool. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2017 to June 2018 in a total of 262 health facilities in Bangladesh using the WHO SARA Standard Tool. Surveys were conducted with facility management personnel by trained data collectors using REDCap software. Descriptive statistics for the availability of CRD services were calculated. Composite scores for facility readiness (Readiness Index ‘RI’) were created which included four domains: staff and guideline, basic equipment, diagnostic capacity, and essential medicines. RI was calculated for each domain as the mean score of items expressed as a percentage. Indices were compared to a cutoff of70% which means that a facility index above 70% is considered ‘ready’ to manage CRDs at that level. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Vr 21.0. Results It was found, tertiary hospitals were the only hospitals that surpassed the readiness index cutoff of 70%, indicating that they had adequate capacity and were ready to manage CRDs (RI 78.3%). The mean readiness scores for the other hospital tiers in descending order were District Hospitals (DH): 40.6%, Upazila Health Complexes (UHC): 33.3% and Private NGOs: 39.5%). Conclusion Only tertiary care hospitals, constituting 3.1% of sampled health facilities, were found ready to manage CRD. Inadequate and unequal supplies of medicine as well as a lack of trained staff, guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of CRDs, equipment, and diagnostic facilities contributed to low readiness index scores in all other tiers of health facilities.

Background The second most common cancer among females in Bangladesh is cervical cancer. The national strategy for cervical cancer needs monitoring to ensure that patients have access to care. In order to provide accurate information to policymakers in Bangladesh and other low and middle income countries, it is vital to assess current service availability and readiness to manage cervical cancer at health facilities in Bangladesh. Methods An interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization Service Availability and Readiness Assessment Standard Tool was used to collect cross-sectional data from health administrators of 323 health facilities in Bangladesh. Services provided were categorized into domains and service readiness was determined by mean readiness index (RI) scores. Data analysis was conducted using STATA version 13. Results There were seven tertiary and specialized hospitals, 118 secondary level health facilities, 124 primary level health facilities, and 74 NGO/private hospitals included in the study. Twenty-six per cent of the health facilities provided services to cancer patients. Among the 34 tracer items used to assess cancer management capacity of health facilities, four cervical cancer-specific tracer items were used to determine service readiness for cervical cancer. On average, tertiary and specialized hospitals surpassed the readiness index cutoff of 70% with adequate staff and training (100%), equipment (100%), and diagnostic facilities (85.7%), indicating that they were ready to manage cervical cancer. The mean RI scores for the rest of the health facilities were below the cutoff value, meaning that they were not prepared to provide adequate cervical cancer services. Conclusion The health facilities in Bangladesh (except for some tertiary hospitals) lack readiness in cervical cancer management in terms of guidelines on diagnosis and treatment, training of staff, and shortage of equipment. Given that cervical cancer accounts for more than one-fourth of all female cancers in Bangladesh, management of cervical cancer needs to be available at all levels of health facilities, with primary level facilities focusing on early diagnosis. It is recommended that appropriate standard operating procedures on cervical cancer be developed for each level of health facilities to contribute towards attaining sustainable developmental goals.

Introduction Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs)as well as a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Around 80% diabetic patients live in low- and middle-income countries. In Bangladesh, there is a scarcity of data on the quality of DM management within health facilities. This study aims to describe service availability and readiness for DM at all tiers of health facilities using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) standard tool. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 266 health facilities all across Bangladesh using the WHO SARA standard tool. Descriptive analyses for the availability of DM services was carried out. Composite scores for facility readiness index (RI) were calculated in four domains: staff and guideline, basic equipment, diagnostic capacity, and essential medicines. Indices were stratified by facility level and a cut off value of 70% was considered as ‘ready’ to manage diabetes at each facility level. Results The mean RI score of tertiary and specialized hospitals was above the cutoff value of 70% (RI: 79%), whereas for District Hospitals (DHs), Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) and NGO and Private hospitals the RI scores were other levels of 65%, 51% and 62% respectively. This indicating that only the tertiary level of health facilities was ready to manage DM. However, it has been observed that the RI scores of the essential medicine domain was low at all levels of health facilities including tertiary-level. Conclusions The study revealed only tertiary level facilities were ready to manage DM. However, like other facilities, they require an adequate supply of essential medicines. Alongside the inadequate supply of medicines, shortage of trained staff and unavailability of guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of DM also contributed to the low RI score for rest of the facilities.

Background Drowning is the leading cause of childhood death in Bangladesh. In order to minimize the number of casualties Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) incorporated a ‘first responder’ program which includes Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), in community based drowning prevention program, SwimSafe . Along with swimming lessons, swimming instructors provide first responder services in the community. The objective of this study was to describe the results of the volunteer based first responder services for the management of drowned casualties between 2012 and 2015 in the rural communities of Bangladesh. Methods Adolescents and youths who volunteered as community swimming instructors were trained as first responders to provide first aid and resuscitation in the community. Trainers from the International Drowning Research Centre Bangladesh (IDRC-B) of CIPRB delivered the training. The first responders were also trained on the documentation of the first responder services they provided in the community. The documented records were collected from the volunteers on a regular basis; when drowning cases were reported CIPRB management followed up with an in depth data collection, using a structured form. Results 2,305 community volunteers were trained between 2012 and 2015. Of them 1,461 reported providing first responder services among 6,773 casualties, including 184 drowning casualties. Of the drowning casualties, volunteers treated 31 casualties with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), 51 casualties by putting into the recovery position and 102 casualties were treated for the shock on site. Of those given CPR, 22 (71%) survived and 9 (29%) died. After receiving treatment from the first responder 104 (56.5%) of the drowning casualties were referred to health facilities for further treatment. Conclusions The training of community first responders seems to be an effective way of managing and reducing drowning causalities in countries like Bangladesh, where drowning is a significant public health hazard.

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation ( p -value <0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohols and alcohols-based materials were associated with skin effects (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87–2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye effects (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74–1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90–2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). The use of sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine also had a high chance of having respiratory effects. The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics especially when they are used or overused. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-023-27197-6.