Bangladesh has showcased its newly introduced ‘Shishu Swarga’ model for children with special needs at an international health forum in Geneva, highlighting the country’s efforts to expand inclusive healthcare and rehabilitation services.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit presented the model during the 79th World Health Assembly in Switzerland. He is leading a six-member Bangladeshi delegation at the global conference, which concludes on 23 May.
The presentation took place during a high-level side event at Hotel Royal Geneva, where international delegates and health experts praised Bangladesh’s approach to early disability detection and intervention.
In his keynote speech, Dr Muhit stressed the need to move beyond viewing disability only from a medical standpoint. He said disability is often shaped by social and environmental barriers and called for more inclusive systems worldwide.
He explained that children with hearing or vision impairments may avoid long-term disability if they receive proper support, such as hearing aids or eyeglasses, at an early stage.
According to the minister, the ‘Shishu Swarga’ initiative is based on nearly two decades of research in Bangladesh and more than 100 scientific studies. One of the programme’s major achievements has been reducing the average age of identifying childhood disabilities from five years to only eight months.
Dr Muhit also noted that nearly 75 per cent of Bangladeshi families raising children with disabilities live below the poverty line, making accessible healthcare and rehabilitation services critically important.
He informed the forum that the government plans to expand the programme nationwide through a six-tier administrative structure supervised by a high-level steering committee chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The event also included a panel discussion featuring experts from Geneva University Hospitals, Sightsavers International and Save the Children International, along with representatives from Pakistan’s health ministry.
Speakers praised Bangladesh’s initiative and emphasised the importance of international collaboration to ensure rights-based healthcare services for children with disabilities.
More than 40 delegates from over 30 countries and 20 international organisations attended the session.
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