The Daily Star:  Volume 3 Number 952   Tue. May 14, 2002 


      Dhaka seeks C'wealth help to tackle arsenic



      UNB, Dhaka


      With the arsenic problem worsening in the country, the health minister has 
      urged the Commonwealth to take a special programme to help Bangladesh 
      tackle the menace.

      Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain sought the help while 
      addressing a pre-WHA (World Health Assembly) meeting of the Commonwealth 
      Health Ministers in Geneva Sunday, according to a message received in the 
      city yesterday.

      "Arsenic in drinking water has become a big threat to Bangladesh and we 
      need Commonwealth's need-based technical and financial support to face 
      it," he said.

      The health minister is leading a six-member delegation to the 55 World 
      Health Assembly that began yesterday.

      Dr Mosharraf said the present government has taken various measures to 
      combat communicable and non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh as it 
      gives priority to health and education sectors.


      "Reemergence of some communicable diseases like malaria, filaria, dengue 
      and tuberculosis and emergence of HIV/AIDS have become a difficult problem 
      for many developing countries, including Bangladesh", he said.
      The health minister also attended a meeting of the member states of 
      Southeast Asia Regional Office (SEARO) of WHO.