Special Campaign on Pregnancy Care Service Days

 

SMC conducted a two-day nationwide campaign titled "Pregnancy Care Service Days 2023" to emphasize the significance of appropriate nutritional care for pregnant women. Mr. Toslim Uddin Khan, MD & CEO, SMC along with Mr. Sayef Nasir, MD, SMC EL inaugurated the campaign at Bismillah Pharmacy, a Blue Star outlet located at South Patenga, Chattogram on November 11, 2023. Mr. Ranjit Kumar Chakraborty, Director SMC Board of Directors also attended the program. After inauguration they observed a ‘Ma Shomabesh' event at Bangabandhu Bangla Biddapith, Zhautola (13 no. Pahartoly), Khulshi, Chattogram organized by the Community Mobilization team of SMC. The team also visited a pharmacy at Boalkhali upazilla to promote nutritional product "FullCare" for pregnant mothers with other SMC products. Around 20 popular TC channels along with local media covered this campaign news. On the first day of the campaign, four TV channels telecasted special talk-shows narrating the benefits of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) and Antenatal Care (ANC). Mr. Khan along with senior Gynecologists joined as discussants in the talk shows.

Bangladesh is the first country in the world launched MMS (FullCare) through the market-based model. SMC is the lead implementing partner to market MMS in Bangladesh under the partnership with GAIN, SAL & icddr,b through the financial support from CIFF. MMS is highly beneficial for pregnant women in addressing nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy and the lactation period. During this campaign time, Blue Star Providers of SMC offered special pregnancy care services (weight and blood pressure measurement, blood sugar test, urine sugar and albumin test, counselling on five danger signs of pregnancy) and also promoted FullCare and Forbon (calcium tablet of SMC).

 

Source: Newsletter-47 (October-December), 2023