The Health Economics Research Network (HERN) is looking for research proposals from early-career academics and students and essays from undergraduates on topics in the broad field of health economics and public health to celebrate its debut year of operation.

• Research and essay topic suggestions
  • Tobacco control
  • Mental health
  • Non-communicable diseases
  • Maternal and child health
  • Universal Health Coverage
  • Health care financing
  • Reproductive health
  • The environment and health
  • Health inequality
  • Primary health care
  • Any other health economics-related issues

Research Proposals

• Objective

To introduce and train young research enthusiasts in formal research procedures and teach them conventional research norms and protocols so they can pursue health economics for their next steps effortlessly.

• Grant for articles
  • Selected proposals will get BDT 150,000 for early-career researchers, such as research assistants at research firms or lecturers from different universities.
  • Selected proposals will get BDT 100,000 for students who are currently studying for their master’s, MPhil, and Ph.D. (Primary stage).

• Time frame
  • Call for proposal: September 21, 2022
  • Last date of proposal submission: October 21, 2022
  • Article submission: 6 months from the date of grant acceptance.
  • Grant disbursement: three installments
    • First installment: At the beginning
    • Second installment: After submission of the first draft (by the 4th month),
    • Third installment: After submission to journal (by 6^th month)
      
• Support from the HERN network
  • A mentor to guide the grant winner in the process of writing the article
  • The mentor will also be a co-author of the article if the mentor agrees

• Deliverables:

A journal article submitted to a Q1 or Q2 journal in the fields of health, public health, environmental and occupational health with a minimum impact factor of 2

• Guideline regarding authorship policy and mentoring

i) The research grant recipient must be the article’s first and corresponding author when the article is submitted to a journal. If the project mentor is on board, he or she may contribute to the article as a second author.

ii) Prior ethical approval must be obtained when using primary data.

iii) It is crucial to uphold all public health research standards.

Essays

• Objective

To foster research interest and analytical thinking in the field of health economics to undergraduate students and to provide them a chance to experience academic writing firsthand.

• Grant for essays

BDT 10,000 each for three undergraduate student winners in an essay competition.

• Time frame
  • Essay submission deadline: November 21, 2022
  • Grant disbursement: One installment after the announcement of the winners
    
• Deliverables:
  One essay within 2000 words with relevant referencing. The essay will be published on the HERN website and will be showcased on all our platforms.

Please submit your research proposal or essay to the email address:
farihamunia.ark@gmail.com

Email subject line for submitting research proposals: Research_Proposal_HERN_2022
Email subject line for submitting essays: Essays_HERN_2022

On September 5, 2022, the Health Economics Research Network (HERN), in collaboration with the ARK Foundation, University of York, RESPIRE, and ASTRA, hosted a workshop on “Policies to Address Smokeless Tobacco Control in Bangladesh” at the Six Seasons Hotel in Dhaka. Public health professionals, representatives of various non-governmental organizations, national and international tobacco control experts, development workers, journalists, and researchers were at the workshop.

Kamran Siddiqui, a professor of global public health in the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences, gave the keynote address at the gathering. In comparison to other nations, he claimed that smokeless tobacco use and prevalence are exceptionally high in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Although the rate of smokers of cigarettes and bidis has marginally declined in Bangladesh over the past few years, the rate of smokers of smokeless tobacco has remained essentially stable. Therefore, this area must receive special attention. He also offered numerous suggestions to simultaneously limit the use of smokeless tobacco products. Some of those are eliminating flavors, limiting TSNAs, establishing standards, and keeping an eye on their ingredients; implementing licensing for retail sales and workable substitutes; strictly prohibiting online/social media advertising; empowering local governments to enact sales bans, and frequently raising taxes higher than cigarettes with a minimum floor price equal to a 20-stick cigarette pack.

Twenty-two million individuals in Bangladesh today use smokeless tobacco, representing around 58% of all tobacco users, according to speakers at the event! Smokeless tobacco products do not receive the same attention as cigarettes and bidis regarding reducing their detrimental effects on public health. Speakers at the event claimed that 84% of the packs containing smokeless tobacco products in Bangladesh lack adequate pictorial health warnings. Even if they have visual health warnings, they do not adhere to the rules. Additionally, 30% of packets have no health warnings at all.

Former Director General of the Medical Education Department, Professor AHM Enayet Hossain, presided over the event. The Director of the National TB Control Programme, Professor Shakil Ahmed, was present as chief guest. The National Professional Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq; former director of primary health care of the Directorate of Healthcare Services, Dr. Khaleda Islam; former chairman of the National Board of Revenue, Dr. Nasir Uddin Ahmed; and Project Director and Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, Professor Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque; and Technical Consultant of International Organization The Union, Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin were present as panel discussants. The program was moderated by the Executive Director of ARK Foundation and Professor of Economics at the University of Dhaka, Rumana Huque.