Improve Transparency and Accountability in Health Sector under Building Integrity Blocks for Effective Change (BIBEC) Project

Aim

The overall objective of BIBEC is to concentrate on building and strengthening a series of mutually supportive and reinforcing integrity blocks to effectively reduce corruption. “Blocks” hereby mean the key institutions, i.e., policy/law, education, training, ethics and values, and above all, the citizens of the country.

Landscape

Transparency International Bangladesh works through research, advocacy and mobilisation of the civil society, the media and youth groups. A short presentation and policy briefing are used in advocacy meetings. Entire study reports, executive summaries, and presentations of released research reports are sent to respective authorities. The key government authorities are Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Transparency International Bangladesh's work on health issues mainly includes research and advocacy at local and national levels. The main objective of these activities is to bring about positive changes in policies and practices of concerned authorities in regard to ensuring good governance and integrity in health services.

Activities

1. Publication of information sheets & policy briefs.
   Awareness raisingPolicy briefingPublication of report & guidance
2. Satellite Advice and Information (AI) desks were established.
   System development
3. Advocacy meetings were held with the health authorities.
   Advocacy
4. Organised the public sessions (FtP) which involved planning and review meetings between service providers and recipients.
   ConsultationStrategic working groups & Collaboration
5. Conducted local and national level research on levels of corruption.
   Research & analysis

Achievements

1. Drug manufacturing licenses of 11 pharmaceutical companies were cancelled due to failure of following good manufacturing practices stipulated by the WHO. Following a review of the side effects and potential health damages, the DGDA revoked the registration and banned the production and distribution of 51 drugs and medicines. DGDA inspectors visited 5,838 drug stores and 140 pharmaceutical companies and seized medicines that were banned and expired.
2. Instructions of service-related information from the health ministry were placed in different places to prevent brokers from misleading uneducated patients, and e-tendering activities were introduced for government purchases.
3. The National Drug Policy 2016 was formulated. The Policy stipulates guidelines for safe, effective and quality medicines as well as their safe and logical use. The Drug Act, 2017 (merger of two previous laws, the Drug Act of 1940 and the Drug Control Ordinance of 1982 and 2006) was drafted and provides guidelines for controlling quality, production, import, export, distribution and sale of essential drugs.
4. The Formalin Control Act, 2015 was enacted to control the harmful use of formalin in foods. In order to reinforce the Food Safety Act of 2013, four regulations were enacted in 2017 which are the Food Safety (Contaminants, Toxins and Harmful Residues) Regulations of 2017, the Food Safety (Labelling) Regulations of 2017, the Use of Food Additives Regulations of 2017 and the Food Sample Collection, Testing and Analysis Regulations of 2017. The Food Safety (Technical Committee) Rules of 2017 were enacted. Bangladesh Food Safety Authority was established in 2015 in light of the Food Safety Act of 2013.
5. Registration and renewal fees of private health care providers were regulated according to the type of institutions. Moreover, a committee headed by Additional Secretary (Hospital) of Health Ministry was formed on behalf of the Minister for Health to improve the diagnostics and to improve the cost of this service.