BackgroundTraditional healing practice is an important and integral part of healthcare systems in almost all countries of the world. Very few studies have addressed the holistic scenario of traditional healing practices in Bangladesh, although these serve around 80% of the ailing people. This study explored distinctive forms of traditional healing practices in rural Bangladesh.MethodsDuring July to October 2007, the study team conducted 64 unstructured interviews, and 18 key informant interviews with traditional healers and patients from Bhabanipur and Jobra, two adjacent villages in Chittagong district, Bangladesh. The study also used participatory observations of traditional healing activities in the treatment centers.ResultsMajority of the community members, especially people of low socioeconomic status, first approached the traditional healers with their medical problems. Only after failure of such treatment did they move to qualified physicians for modern treatment. Interestingly, if this failed, they returned to the traditional healers. This study identified both religious and non-religious healing practices. The key religious healing practices reportedly included Kalami, Bhandai, and Spiritual Healing, whereas the non-religious healing practices included Sorcery, Kabiraji, and Home Medicine. Both patients and healers practiced self-medication at home with their indigenous knowledge. Kabiraji was widely practiced based on informal use of local medicinal plants in rural areas. Healers in both Kalami and Bhandari practices resorted to religious rituals, and usually used verses of holy books in healing, which required a firm belief of patients for the treatment to be effective. Sorcerers deliberately used their so-called supernatural power not only to treat a patient but also to cause harm to others upon secret request. The spiritual healing reportedly diagnosed and cured the health problems through communication with sacred spirits. Although the fee for diagnosis was small, spiritual healing required different types of treatment instruments, which made the treatment implicitly expensive.ConclusionsTraditional healing was widely practiced as the means of primary healthcare in rural areas of Bangladesh, especially among the people with low socioeconomic status. The extent of services showed no decline with the advancement of modern medical sciences; rather it has increased with the passage of time.

The rising salinity of land and water is an important, but understudied, climate change-sensitive trend that can exert devastating impacts on food security. This mixed methods investigation combines salinity testing with qualitative research methods to explore these impacts in one of the most salinity-affected regions in the world—the Ganges River Delta. Data collection in 2015 and 2016 undertaken in Bangladesh’s southwest coastal region and Dhaka consisted of 83 in-depth household and stakeholder interviews, six community focus groups, and salinity testing of 27 soil and 45 surface and groundwater samples. Results show that household food production is a multifaceted cornerstone of rural livelihood in the southwest coastal region, and virtually every component of it—from rice plantation and homestead gardening to livestock cultivation and aquaculture—is being negatively affected by salinity. Although households have attempted multiple strategies for adapting food production, effective adaptation remains elusive. At the community level, improved irrigation and floodplain management, as well as restrictions on saltwater aquaculture to abate salinity, are viewed as promising interventions. However, the potential of such measures remains unrealized on a broad scale, as they require a level of external resources and regulation not yet provided by the NGO and government sectors. This study elucidates issues of accessibility, equity, and governance surrounding agricultural interventions for climate change-related salinity adaptation, and its findings can help inform the community of organizations that will increasingly need to grapple with salinity in order to guarantee food security in the context of environmental change.

Background Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are major global health challenges. Drug-resistant infectious diseases continue to rise in developing countries, driven by shortfalls in infection control measures, antibiotic misuse, and scarcity of reliable diagnostics. These escalating global challenges have highlighted the importance of strengthening fundamental infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and implementing effective antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). This study aims to present a framework for enhancing IPC measures and ASP efforts to reduce the HAI and AMR burden in Bangladesh. Methods This implementation approach will employ a mixed-methods strategy, combining both quantitative and qualitative data from 12 tertiary hospitals in Bangladesh. A baseline assessment will be conducted using the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) developed by the WHO. We will record IPC practices through direct observations of hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization, and hospital ward IPC infrastructure. Additionally, data on healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding IPC and antibiotic prescribing will be collected using both structured questionnaires and qualitative interviews. We will also assist the hospital leadership with establishing and/or strengthening IPC and ASP committees. Based on baseline assessments of each healthcare facility, tailored interventions and quality improvement projects will be designed and implemented. An end-line assessment will also be conducted after 12 months of intervention using the same assessment tools. The findings will be compared with the baseline to determine changes in IPC and antibiotic stewardship practices. Discussion Comprehensive assessments of healthcare facilities in low-resource settings are crucial for strengthening IPC measures and ASP activities,. This approach to assessing existing IPC and ASP activities will provide policy-relevant data for addressing current shortfalls. Moreover, this framework proposes identifying institutionally-tailored solutions, which will ensure that response activities are appropriately contextualized, aligned with stakeholder priorities, and offer sustainable solutions. Conclusion Findings from this study can guide the design and implementation of feasible and sustainable interventions in resource-constrained healthcare settings to address gaps in existing IPC and ASP activities. Therefore, this protocol will be applicable across a broad range of settings to improve IPC and ASP and reduce the burden of hospital-acquired infections and AMR.

Introduction Hospital-acquired infections endanger millions of lives around the world, and nurses play a vital role in the prevention of these infections. Knowledge of infection prevention and control (IPC) best practices among nurses is a prerequisite to maintaining standard precautions for the safety of patients. Aim The study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards IPC including associated factors among the nurses of a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. Methods We conducted this hospital-based cross-sectional study from October 2017 to June 2018 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital among 300 nurses working in all departments. We calculated three KAP scores for each participant reflecting their current state of knowledge and compliance towards IPC measures. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine KAP scores among nurses and their associated factors. Results Average scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 18.6, 5.4, and 15.5 (out of 26, 7, and 24), respectively. The study revealed that the majority (85.2%) of the nurses had a good to moderate level of knowledge, half (51%) of them showed positive attitudes, and only one fifth (17.1%) of the nurses displayed good practices in IPC. The respondents’ age, education, monthly income and years of experience were found to have statistical associations with having moderate to adequate level of KAP scores. Aged and experienced nurses were found more likely to have poor knowledge and unfavorable attitude toward IPC practices. Conclusion The majority of nurses had good IPC knowledge, but their practices did not reflect that knowledge. In particular, nurses needed to improve the proper IPC practice for better patient care and to protect themselves. Regular IPC training and practice monitoring can enhance the IPC practice among nurses.

BackgroundDepression is the second major cause of disability and is a principal source of disease burden worldwide which is quite common among international students.AimThis study explored the depression and its associated factors among international students of a private university in Bangladesh.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 149 international students at a private university in Dhaka, Bangladesh using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D 10) Scale.ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms among international students was 47.7%. Students’ age, marital status, satisfaction with living conditions and problems concerning studies, food, homesickness, finances, accommodation, and health were significantly associated with depression.ConclusionThis study concluded that there is an unmet need for psychological support for international students studying in Bangladesh. Appropriate support services should be directed to them to help and to overcome the challenges they face.