Tackling health inequalities among the Bangladeshi community
The London Bangladeshi Health Partnership (LBHP) held London’s first ever Bangladeshi health inequalities summit on Tuesday 24 September. Hosted at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, the LBHP brought together an interdisciplinary group of key health partners with Bangladeshi community organisations and representatives, with the aim to respond to the health priorities of underserved Bangladeshi communities in London and the health inequalities they face.
Khasruz Zaman, Vice Chair of the partnership and Barts Health’s Inclusion and Community Engagement Manager said:
The majority of the Bangladeshi population live in the Barts Health catchment area and face historical health inequalities. This summit was a call for action, and we take seriously our collective responsibility to work in partnership with the local authority, VCSE organisations, and our local Bangladeshi community to challenge and change this injustice.
Funded by the NHS Legacy and Health Equity Partnership, the summit brought together place, system, local authority, VCSE and regional stakeholders, academics, and heath partners. The morning plenary was chaired by Professor Tahseen Chowdhury, consultant in diabetes, with input from Professor Sarah Finer, consultant diabetologist, Rehan Uddin-Khan, consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, Ferha Aeed, obstetrician and gynaecology, Ana Correira , diabetes specialist dietitian, and Ajit Abraham, executive director of inclusion and equity. Their presentations were followed by insightful table discussions.
Beth Brown, Associate director for patient and community engagement and participation, who facilitated a discussion on community collaboration said:
The London Bangladeshi Health Partnership is an important partner for us at Barts Health, and this summit provided an opportunity to come together to acknowledge that we need to do more to support our local population, and crucially think about how we can do this together .
The summit was reported on by community media, including London Bangla Voice. The event report, which will include a strategic workplan, will be published later this year.
Councillor Abdul Wahid , Cabinet Member for Customer Service, Equalities and Social Inclusion, said:
We know there is a lot we can do in terms of improving the health outcomes of the Bangladeshi population, and working with communities to ensure they have the information and access to the support they need to be healthy. We are delighted to have hosted the London Bangladeshi Health Partnership in our Town Hall and look forward to working with them on these issues.
This event was delivered by the LBHP's anchor organisation Bangla Housing Association and supported by Voice4Change, Diabetes UK, NHS England, Tower Hamlets Council and Barts Health NHS Trust.