News from OIST

New computer equipment at OIST

Rabiul Islam, Founder of Oasis for Posterity reports new faculty hires at Oasis Institute for Science and Technology.

Arshi Fathama from Nilphamari District has joined OIST as a Mathematics Instructor. She completed her BSc (Honors) in Mathematics and her MSc in Applied Mathematics, both from Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur.

Naimur Islam has joined the Computer Technology Department at OIST. He hails from Dinajpur District and graduated with a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur. Naimur is skilled in Python, digital electronics, data structures, PHP frameworks, and various programming languages. 

Ahsan Rabby from Rangpur District has also joined OIST as an Instructor in the Computer Technology Department. He has earned a Diploma in Computer Technology and a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from Dhaka International University. He is proficient in MySQL, programming languages, and networking.

In other news Rabiul also reports that at the September intake, eight new students joined the Civil Engineering Department and fourteen joined the Computer Technology Department. With these admissions, the total number of students at OIST is 62. A recent generous donation enabled the purchase of equipment for the Civil Engineering program, in addition to software and hardware upgrades for the Computer Technology students. Although students pay tuition fees, during this start-up phase of OIST, we rely on donations to pay for faculty salaries and equipment. If you would like to contribute, or for more information, please contact us.

Insights from a Global Health Manager

Long-time BHP collaborator Dr. Nazmul Huda was recently interviewed by Health Systems Matter, a Dhaka-based knowledge platform that offers evidence-based updates on key global health issues. In a wide-ranging discussion, Nazmul described his experience in leading international programs in obstetric fistula prevention, breast-feeding, TB control and vaccines. Key insights from this interview:

“I was the first to raise the alarm about the epidemic of unnecessary caesarean section in Bangladesh. We engaged with the Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Bangladesh to develop a position paper on C-sections.... I also developed community-based fistula diagnosis events, a simple structured system for primary care workers to identify cases and bring women to treatment. We treated thousands of patients through this program.”

 “The achievements of Bangladesh in public health are laudable. Development partners have made tremendous contributions but over-dependence on these partners is a major challenge…. Bangladesh is gradually taking more financial responsibility for its health programs, but the government lacks capacity for technical management. [We need to] prepare a smooth transfer from a partner-induced system to the regular government systems for program management.”

“The most significant limitations of the current government health initiatives are the lack of transparency, discipline, accountability and effective leadership. The current system is largely doctor-centered; the contributions of nurses, midwives, therapists, managers and researchers are largely ignored.”

C-Section Trends in bangladesh

BHP Directors John Richards and Alex Berland recently joined a Public Health Café session hosted by Dr. Nazmul Huda, Chair of the Masters in Public Health program at IUBAT. John and Nazmul presented their research on Trends in Caesarean Section in Bangladesh. The trends – in Bangladesh, as in several other South Asian countries - show increased rates of surgical intervention without evidence of need. The panelists and participants discussed system-level approaches to reduce unnecessary C-sections, including 24/7 availability of doctors and midwives to support high-quality services for normal delivery, data to support a change process and meaningful involvement of women and their families in birth planning. A video recording of the seminar is available at this Google Drive link.