Health, Nutrition & WASH
Healthy families are the foundation of development. Since 1987, VOSD has been delivering primary health care, maternal and child health services, nutrition education, hygiene promotion, safe water, sanitation, and arsenic mitigation across our working areas — reaching millions of the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh.
Health & Hygiene Program
Community-based health awareness since 1987
Health and Hygiene has been an ongoing core program of VOSD since 1987. It runs through all our organized community groups and reaches community women across every field we operate in. Through weekly group meetings, our staff and volunteers make thousands of community members aware of essential health and hygiene practices.
This program is supported by a wide range of partners including DoHFW, NNP, KIA, GM, ICCO, SKN, APHD, and Andheri Hilfe since 1993. Through these efforts, more than 1,11,00,000 (11.1 crore) people have been made aware of health, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, family welfare, mother and child health care, and EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization).
A flagship initiative under this program was the Hand Washing Project (Promoting Safer Hygiene Behaviour among RMG Workers), supported by BSF-Germany and launched in June 2017. It was the first-ever WASH study among RMG workers in Bangladesh and remains one of the largest workplace-based WASH interventions in the country.
Mother & Child Health Care and Family Planning
Protecting mothers and nurturing healthy children
VOSD has been implementing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Family Welfare activities in all our working Upazilas, with the generous support of Memisa-Netherlands, DoHFW, NNP, KIA, GM, ICCO, SKN, APHD, and Andheri Hilfe.
This program addresses the most critical health needs of mothers, newborns, and children. Our team provides primary health care (PHC) and nutrition education, family welfare guidance, safe delivery support, and comprehensive MCH education through community sessions, training, and household visits.
Key activities include Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) training, regular growth monitoring, feeding programs for malnourished children and mothers, contraceptives supply, referral services, and curative health services through satellite clinics.
So far, this program has covered more than 6,127,225 (over 61 lakh) mothers and children, dramatically improving maternal and child health outcomes in some of the most underserved areas of southern Bangladesh.
Health and Nutrition Program (NNP-HNPSP)
National Nutrition Program through Community Nutrition Centres
VOSD has been implementing the Health and Nutrition Program since 1987, and has been a proud partner in the National Nutrition Program (NNP) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since July 2004. The program operates as part of the Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program (HNPSP).
The overall objective is to achieve sustainable improvement in birth weights and nutritional status of vulnerable women and children through behavior change, proper utilization of healthcare systems, and community involvement.
The program focuses on Area Based Community Nutrition (ABCN) interventions and is implemented in 105 upazilas of 34 districts across 6 divisions. VOSD is one of only 10 NGOs — alongside BRAC, TMSS, SHEED, SHARD, VARD, BEES, HEED, UJMS, and SGS — working directly with NNP.
Core services are delivered from Community Nutrition Centres (CNCs). Each CNC covers 1,000 to 1,250 people on average. VOSD operates 4,641 CNCs, staffed by 455 Community Nutrition Organizers (CNOs) and supervised by 125 field supervisors across 37 Upazilas.
Growth Monitoring Program
Tracking every child’s healthy development
VOSD has been working on growth monitoring through its Health and MCH programs since 1990. This program is critical for early identification of malnutrition and timely intervention to prevent stunting, wasting, and long-term developmental challenges.
Our field staff regularly weigh and measure children, record their growth on WHO-standard charts, and provide nutrition counseling to mothers based on the results. When a child is identified as malnourished, we take immediate action — including food supplementation, referral to health facilities, and intensive follow-up.
So far, we have covered more than 1,27,517 (1.27 lakh) children and mothers through growth monitoring, while providing MCH education to the entire community in our working areas.
VOSD also bears the cost of treatment for the very poorest malnourished children and mothers, referring high-risk cases to Upazila Health Complexes and hospitals for specialized care.
Water and Sanitation (WatSan) Program
Safe water and improved sanitation for all
Since its inception in 1987, VOSD has been implementing the Water and Sanitation (WatSan) program with support from the NGO Forum. Over the decades, we have expanded this work with the support of partners including Andheri Hilfe-Germany, APHD-Thailand, DPHE, BAMWSP, UNICEF, World Bank, ICCO-Netherlands, and SKN-Netherlands.
Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is one of the most fundamental human rights. Our program installs water sources and sanitation facilities in some of the most climate-vulnerable and remote communities in southern Bangladesh.
So far, VOSD has installed an impressive portfolio of water and sanitation infrastructure:
Arsenic Awareness Raising & Mitigation
Protecting communities from a silent health crisis
Arsenic contamination in groundwater is one of the biggest public health challenges in Bangladesh, causing skin lesions, cancers, and other serious health complications. VOSD has been working on arsenic awareness raising and mitigation since 1996, with support from the NGO Forum, LGED/DPHE, BAMWSP, UNDP, World Bank, and others.
Our work spans 27 Upazilas across Barisal, Faridpur, Barguna, Chandpur, and Gopalgonj districts. Our team surveys tube wells, tests water quality, marks contaminated wells, and installs alternative safe water sources in affected communities.
We also train local stakeholders — including Union Parishad members, local leaders, and community volunteers — who then serve as arsenic awareness champions within their communities.
So far, VOSD has raised awareness among approximately 50,00,000 (50 lakh) people, red-marked 3,500 contaminated tube wells, installed 370 new safe tube wells, and trained 15,000 stakeholders on arsenic mitigation.
Healthy Families, Stronger Communities
From safe delivery and clean water to nutrition for every child, VOSD is working to ensure every family has the foundation they need to thrive. Partner with us to expand this vital work.