Public Health Informatics Foundation

Eid Mubarak! May the joy and blessings of this special day fill your heart with happiness and bring a smile that lasts throughout the year.

🌿 Webinar Successfully Held on Mental Health First Aid
On 28 February 2026, Public Health Informatics Foundation (PHIF), in collaboration with Public Health Foundation (PhF), successfully organized a webinar titled:
“Mental Health First Aid: Supporting Mental Well-Being in Our Community.”
The session brought together public health experts, clinicians, development professionals, researchers, and youth leaders to discuss the growing importance of mental health awareness and community-based support.
🌍 Why this matters?
Globally, nearly 1 in 8 people live with a mental health condition. In Bangladesh, studies show that around 17% of adults and 15% of adolescents experience mental health challenges, yet many do not receive proper care. The treatment gap remains a serious concern.
👥 Our Esteemed Panelists:
• Dr. Arefin Amal Islam – Member, Managing Board, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRS)
• Dr. SM Yasir Arafat – Associate Consultant of Psychiatry; Associate Professor, Frontier University, Garowe, Somalia
• Dr. Md Saiful Alam – Medical Officer (Ayurvedic), Satkhira District Hospital
The webinar was moderated by Md. Saiful Islam, Youth Mental Health First Aid National Trainer (Bangladesh Scouts), who has trained over 250 youth volunteers in mental health first aid.
🎤 Esteemed Participants
The session was honored by the presence of:
• Dr. Aftab Uddin Ahmed, a national public health figure
• Mr. Mofakkhar Morshed Chowdhury, British Council
• Dr. Rezaul Karim
• Monaemul Islam Sizear
• Public health researchers
• Development professionals
• Youth volunteers and students from diverse backgrounds
Their active participation made the discussion engaging and impactful.
🎯 The session concluded with a shared commitment to:
✔ Strengthen advocacy for implementation of the Mental Health Act 2018
✔ Promote integration of mental health into primary healthcare services
✔ Encourage community-level awareness and early support
✔ Ensure that no one facing mental health challenges remains unheard
PHIF remains committed to creating meaningful platforms that strengthen public health systems and promote mental well-being for all.
Together, we can build a more supportive and mentally healthy society. 💚

📣 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 | 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱: 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆

The 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗵 (𝗣𝗛𝗙𝗕𝗗) & 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗙) are pleased to host a webinar titled “Mental Health First Aid: Supporting Mental Well-Being in Our Community.”

📅 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 28 February 2026 (Saturday)
🕒 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 3:00–4:30 PM (BST)

🎤 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿:
Md. Saiful Islam
National Trainer-Youth Mental Health First Aid, Bangladesh Scouts, Volunteer Pool Member-World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).

👥 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀:
• Dr. Arefin Amal Islam
Member, Managing Board, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society; Ex Country Director, Noora Health Bangladesh
• Dr. SM Yasir Arafat
Associate Consultant of Psychiatry; Associate Professor, Frontier University, Garowe, Somalia
• Dr. Md Saiful Alam
Medical Officer (Ayurvedic), Satkhira District Hospital

🔗 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89435316921?pwd=WC6FJjkleke6Cu1ITYMpJtra3bZ0QA.1

🌍 We warmly invite public health professionals, mental health advocates, researchers, students, and community leaders to join this important discussion and learn practical ways to support mental well-being in our communities.

পাবলিক হেলথ ইনফরমেটিক্স ফাউন্ডেশন (PHIF) কর্তৃক ১৬ জানুয়ারি ২০২৬ তারিখে আগারগাঁওয়ের জায়তুন রেস্টুরেন্টে বার্ষিক সাধারণ সভা (Annual General Meeting – AGM) অনুষ্ঠিত হয়।
সভায় PHIF-এর চেয়ারম্যান লিলি অ্যান্থানিয়া গোমেজ সভাপতিত্ব করেন। এছাড়াও সভায় সেক্রেটারি জেনারেল, এক্সিকিউটিভ কমিটির (EC) সদস্যবৃন্দ, সাধারণ পরিষদের সদস্যবৃন্দ এবং উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের সদস্যবৃন্দ উপস্থিত ছিলেন।
সভায় জুলাই ২০২৪ থেকে জুন ২০২৫ অর্থবছরের কার্যক্রম প্রতিবেদন ও আর্থিক প্রতিবেদন উপস্থাপন ও আলোচনা করা হয়।

সম্মানিত উপদেষ্টা কমিটির সদস্যগণ জনস্বাস্থ্যের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ও জরুরি (burning) বিষয়সমূহ চিহ্নিত করে ২০২৬ সালে এসব ক্ষেত্রে কার্যক্রম গ্রহণের পরামর্শ প্রদান করেন। সভাকালে PHIF সংস্থার তহবিল সংগ্রহ (fundraising) এবং দীর্ঘমেয়াদি স্থায়িত্ব (sustainability) নিশ্চিতকরণের লক্ষ্যে কয়েকটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কর্মপরিকল্পনা ও করণীয় নির্ধারণ করা হয়।

২০১৬ সাল থেকে PHIF বাংলাদেশে স্থানীয় ও আন্তর্জাতিক বিভিন্ন সংস্থার সাথে অংশীদারিত্বের ভিত্তিতে কাজ করে আসছে। সংস্থাটি কমিউনিটির দুর্গম ও ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ জনগোষ্ঠীর জন্য প্রাথমিক স্বাস্থ্যসেবা, চক্ষু স্বাস্থ্যসেবা, অনলাইন স্বাস্থ্য পরামর্শ, এবং বাংলাদেশ সরকারের (GoB) সমান্তরালে ভিটামিন-এ ও মাইক্রোনিউট্রিয়েন্ট সাপ্লিমেন্ট বিতরণ কার্যক্রম পরিচালনা করে আসছে।
আট বছরেরও বেশি সময়ের অভিজ্ঞতার ভিত্তিতে PHIF জনস্বাস্থ্য ক্ষেত্রে অ্যাকশন রিসার্চ, স্বাস্থ্য কর্মসূচি বাস্তবায়ন, প্রশিক্ষণ পরিচালনা, প্রস্তাবনা (proposal) উন্নয়ন এবং কারিগরি সহায়তা প্রদানে সুদৃঢ় দক্ষতা অর্জন করেছে।

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Public Health Informatics Foundation (PHIF) was held on 16 January 2026 at Zaytun Restaurant, Agargaon.
The meeting was chaired by PHIF Chairperson Ms. Lily Anthania Gomez. The Secretary General, Dr. Rezaul Karim (Real), along with members of the Executive Committee (EC), General Body members, and respected members of the Advisory Committee, were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the activity report and financial report for the fiscal year July 2024 to June 2025 were presented and discussed in detail.
The esteemed members of the Advisory Committee identified several critical and pressing (burning) public health issues and provided valuable recommendations for undertaking relevant initiatives in 2026. In addition, several important action plans and strategic measures were formulated to strengthen PHIF’s fundraising efforts and ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability.
It is noteworthy that since 2016, PHIF has been working in partnership with various local and international organizations across Bangladesh. The organization has been implementing primary healthcare services, eye care services, online health consultations, and Vitamin A and micronutrient supplementation programs in parallel with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), particularly targeting hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations.
With more than eight years of experience, PHIF has developed strong expertise in the public health sector, particularly in action research, health program implementation, training facilitation, proposal development, and the provision of technical support.

"WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED"

By making just a small compromise, she could have lived a luxurious life in peace and comfort. How strong must one’s love be for the soil of the country and its people to struggle like this throughout an entire lifetime! Such examples are rare in world history.
May Almighty Allah grant her the best reward.
May He grant him a high station in Jannah. Ameen.

The Public Health Informatics Foundation family has expressed its deepest condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Her Excellency Begum Khaleda Zia, in Dhaka. On this sad occasion, PHIF conveys its heartfelt sympathies to her family and loved ones.

Just finished a wonderful meeting today at the CRDS office with Dr. Shaker Ahmed, PhD, Chairperson of CRDS, and Dr. Avijit Poddar, PhD, HDRC. It was an initial and very fruitful meeting. After the meeting, I handed over our Annual Planner 2026. They were very appreciative and thanked us sincerely.

Thank you very much, Dr. Rasheduzzaman Sir, Principal, GUAMC for your kindness, hospitality, and humility. It truly means a lot to us.
We are happy to present you with a small token of our appreciation—our Annual Planner 2026. I am also sincerely grateful to you for your thoughtful gift.

It is a pleasure to cover our secretary general's blog article, which has now been published and shared on social media.

Many congratulations to our Secretary General on behalf of PHIF family.

Link of the writeup of SSV:
https://www.healthsystemsmatter.com/blog-and-interview/blog/strengthening-healthcare-quality-through-supportive-supervision

Weekend voluntarism :

On behalf of the Public Health Informatics Foundation(PHIF) we had the opportunity to conduct an interactive session on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) with adolescent boys at SOS Children’s Village.
It was inspiring to see their curiosity, participation, and eagerness to learn about making informed and healthy life choices.

🎉 Congratulations! 🎉
Heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Rezaul Karim from Public Health Informatics Foundation (PHIF) on his prestigious achievement at the Bangladesh Quality Improvement Convention 2025 for his impactful abstract presentation.

A proud moment that truly reflects his dedication, expertise, and commitment to advancing health care quality in Bangladesh. 🌟

মর্মাহত।
স্তব্ধ।
কত বাবা - মায়ের বুক খালি হলো!!!
হে আল্লাহ্, শোক বইবার ক্ষমতা দাও।।আমীন।

আমরা গভীরভাবে শোকাহত 🥲

Work appreciation!!!

We are very glad to share with you all of our PHIF family members, friends, well-wishers, and stakeholders. Thank you for your continued tremendous support of PHIF. We appreciate your time and consideration for raising our organization day by day.

🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️