Marginalised women and children in tea garden communities in Moulvibazar are receiving essential healthcare services under a special initiative by Simantik, a national non-governmental development organisation, aimed at improving maternal health, ensuring safe motherhood and raising awareness about nutrition and tuberculosis.

As part of the initiative, a mothers' gathering and health orientation programme was held at the hospital of Nurjahan Tea Garden in Kamalganj upazila on Saturday. A similar programme was organised at Patrokhola Tea Garden in the same upazila on October 27.

The programmes were organised under the MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience (MIHR) Bangladesh Activity project, which focuses on improving access to healthcare for pregnant women, new mothers, children and adolescent girls in underserved tea garden communities.

At Saturday's programme in Nurjahan Tea Garden, pregnant women, postpartum mothers, adolescent girls and mothers of young children received health check-ups, nutrition services and necessary medical advice.

According to the programme's service records, 17 pregnant women received antenatal care (ANC), while 17 underwent ultrasound examinations. Three postpartum mothers received postnatal care (PNC).

Additionally, 12 adolescent girls and 44 mothers of children under five received health and nutrition-related services and counselling. The nutritional status of 41 individuals was assessed through mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements. Nutrition supplements were also distributed among mothers.

Syed Md Shahriar, manager-in-charge of Nurjahan Tea Garden, attended the programme as the chief guest.

Among others, MIHR Bangladesh Activity District Coordinator Md Shamsul Alam, Field Supervisor Nilukanta Pal, Midwife Fahmida Begum, Data Assistant Lipi Ghosh and consultant, medical assistant, compounder and sonologist Dr Jannatul Fatema were present. Tea garden health workers, community leaders, pregnant women and their family members also attended.

At the October 27 programme in Patrokhola Tea Garden, 42 pregnant women received ANC check-ups, while 10 postpartum mothers received PNC services.

Health workers also conducted MUAC screenings on 37 children aged between zero and five years and performed ultrasound examinations on 41 pregnant women.

The programme identified 15 high-risk pregnancies. Three of the women were advised to seek advanced medical care through referrals. Sputum samples were also collected from six people suspected of having tuberculosis.

JSI Director (MIS and IT) Nazmul Kabir from its Dhaka office, Patrokhola Tea Garden Manager Md Yusuf Khan and Kamalganj Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Shakur Ahmed attended the programme, along with project officials, healthcare workers, tea garden representatives, pregnant women and their family members.

The MIHR Bangladesh Activity is being implemented by Simantik with technical assistance from JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., with funding from the US Department of State (DOS-USA).

The project operates in 36 tea gardens across six upazilas in Sylhet, Habiganj and Moulvibazar districts, in coordination with the Bangladesh government's health services.

In Moulvibazar, the project covers 21 tea gardens in three upazilas — nine in Sreemangal, seven in Rajnagar and five in Kamalganj.

The initiative primarily focuses on pregnant women, postpartum mothers, children aged below five and people at risk of tuberculosis.

For many tea garden families, access to regular medical check-ups, antenatal care, ultrasound examinations, postnatal services and nutritional assessments for children remains limited.

Against this backdrop, the initiative seeks to bring essential healthcare services closer to underserved communities through coordination with tea garden hospitals and local health authorities.

Early identification of high-risk pregnancies, referral advice and screening support for suspected tuberculosis cases are among the key interventions aimed at protecting maternal and child health.

With the slogan 'Healthy Mother, Healthy Child, Prosperous Society', the project continues to work towards safer motherhood, improved child nutrition and greater health awareness among marginalised tea garden communities.