To observe the field-level activities and encourage the frontline service providers, Ramesh Singh, Country Director of CARE Bangladesh along with Kinga Katus, Sr. Program Development Coordinator, and Dr. Ikhtiar Uddin Khandaker, Director, Health, CARE Bangladesh, and other relevant program staff visited the Chankharpool Comprehensive Drop-in Center (CDIC) on 1 September 2021.
Team Leader Akhtar Jahan presented the current HIV scenario, projects components, challenges, and COVID-19 response. A discussion on service delivery and associated challenges happened as a follow-up. The respected guests closely observed the different rooms in the CDIC and learned about the corresponding functions and activities. They praised the workforce for the ongoing efforts and inspired them by sharing their comments and suggestions to improve the service further. To conclude, they visited a drug injecting and selling spot to talk to outreach workers and PWID about field-level challenges.
As part of the national HIV prevention Program, CARE Bangladesh implements 'Harm Reduction Program' for People Who Inject Drug (PWID) with technical guidance from Save the Children (as Principal Recipient) and AIDS and STD Program, DGHS, MoHFW. Currently, under the New Funding Model (NFM) 3 of The Global Fund, this project has been implemented in 13 districts of 5 divisions of Bangladesh through 35 services centers. 14035 PWID from all over the country receive services of the 'Harm Reduction Program'. Even during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, this project has been providing uninterrupted harm reduction services, along with fighting COVID-19.
“The participants of this project sometimes are not in a position to even realize their needs. I applaud the efforts of the staff through all kinds of challenges to give hope to these people to heal their lives. We must keep providing our services regularly because it is of high significance.”, said Ramesh Singh, Country Director, CARE Bangladesh.
