Feature

Awareness campaign on corruption and health rights

Tabassum Mokhduma

CORRUPTION has infested almost all the sectors in this country and it is corruption, which is responsible for people not enjoying their basic rights. Moreover, lack of awareness among the general people regarding corruption and other basic rights has made the situation worse.

With a view to create awareness among the masses about the adverse effects of corruption, as well as making them aware about their basic rights on health, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) co-organized a series of events that included anti-corruption cartoon, painting and photography exhibition and rallies in five different parts of Chittagong division from 26 June to 13 July.

The cartoon exhibition included 60 award winning and nominated cartoons from the anti-corruption cartoon competition organized earlier last year by TIB marking the International Anti-corruption. The cartoons were highly entertaining and had the evidence towards the hatred for corruption. In Patiya, Chakaria and Chittagong town the cartoon exhibition was jointly organized by TIB, local Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC) and Youth Engagement and Support (YES) while in Cox's Bazar the co-organizer was YES Friends Group and in Ali Kodom it was Shochchotar Jonno Nagorik (Shojon).

Besides, TIB along with Government of Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh, GTZ Germany and Sida organized a mobile exhibition and rally on cartoons, paintings and photography to alert people about their health rights which went on for six days and covered all the above mentioned zones of Chittagong division which included 107 k.m. of roads, twelve hospitals and health complex, sixty-one schools and 140 public places. The main focus of this campaign was to inform the mass people about the rights and duties of the health service receiver and provider, what should be done to ensure health for all and responsibilities of the concerned authorities to guarantee this right.

The organizers believe that this initiative certainly facilitated people a lot to learn about corruption and health rights related issues. The primal focus was on the people from remote and rural areas including the ethnic minorities. These people received an opportunity for programs, which not only informed about the statistics but also provided entertainment at the same time. The organizers have plans to hold similar events in many other places around the country.