Govt takes initiatives to engage school students in sports: State minister
He said the government is working consistently to ensure quality healthcare for all.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque has said the government has undertaken various initiatives to engage school students in sports and promote a healthy lifestyle among the younger generation.
He made the remarks at a public seminar organised on the occasion of World Health Day at the auditorium of the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute in Mirpur today (7 April).
He said the government is working consistently to ensure quality healthcare for all. To achieve this goal, plans have been taken to recruit 100,000 health workers in phases, introduce e-health cards, and improve healthcare services through public-private partnerships.
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The state minister also warned that drugs and tobacco are pushing young people towards dangerous addiction. "The government has taken multiple steps to bring youth back to a healthy lifestyle and to involve school students in sports," he added.
Highlighting the role of the National Heart Foundation, he said the institute has become a trusted name in cardiac care and stressed the need to expand its services to divisional levels.
In her welcome speech, Professor Fazila-Tun-Nesa Malik, secretary general of the foundation, said non-communicable diseases, particularly heart diseases, are rising at an alarming rate in the country, making preventive measures crucial alongside treatment.
Prof Dr Sohel Reza Chowdhury, head of the Epidemiology and Research Department of the foundation, presented the keynote paper. He said human health, animal health and the environment are closely interconnected, and a sustainable healthcare system can be built by implementing the "One Health" approach.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury said the use of e-cigarettes among youths is increasing at an alarming rate and called for strengthening tobacco control laws.
The seminar was chaired by Prof Khandaker Abdul Awal Rizvi, president of the National Heart Foundation. In his concluding remarks, he emphasised that regular physical activity, a balanced diet, avoiding tobacco and engaging in sports play a vital role in preventing heart disease.
