Mustari Khan Recognized for Achievements in Family Planning and Health

DHAKA, DEC 8 (BDNEWS) - Mustari Khan, co-founder of the USAID-funded NGO Concerned Women for Development (CWFD), was honored at TIME Magazine's Global Health Summit, held on November 1-3, 2005 in New York City. She was one of 10 global health heroes recognized for pioneering innovative methods to improve the health of the poor throughout the world. The summit convened top leaders in medicine, government, business, public policy and the arts to develop actions and solutions to health crises. Mrs. Khan joined a list of speakers that included Microsoft founder Bill Gates, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Mrs. Khan began her career as a teacher, but always looked for opportunities to help women living in poor areas. Her first opportunity was realized in 1974 during an acute famine. In an effort to provide relief, she and a group of other women walked through slum areas in Dhaka and provided cholera vaccine and other essential health services to the poor in these miserable conditions. The group began working together on a regular basis to educate women about family planning and urge them to have fewer children. In October 1975, CWFD was formally established as an all-volunteer organization run by Bangladeshi women for Bangladeshi women. USAID has been supporting CWFD since 1976. With USAID assistance, CWFD now provides quality family planning and health services to more than 1 million people in Dhaka. Mrs. Khan has worked in local slums convincing women to use family planning. She also counsels mothers-in law and husbands, who are also decision-makers in women's family planning, and advises them on family planning options and the benefits of smaller families. Previously, Mrs. Khan has received the Margaret Sanger Award, the Leadership Award from the Center for Population and Development (CEDPA), and a health leadership award from the National Council for International Health (NCIH). She has provided technical consultation to UNFPA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Asia Foundation and CEDPA. BDNEWS/ 1932 hrs