The Transforming Access to Care for Serious Mental Disorders in Slums (TRANSFORM) project has spent four years developing and delivering evidence-based mental healthcare for marginalized populations in slum communities. To share the knowledge, experiences, and findings generated through this research, a National Level Dissemination Workshop was held on 26–27 January at BRAC Centre Inn, Mohakhali, Dhaka.
The workshop was inaugurated by Professor Dr. Nizam Uddin, Member Secretary of the Bangladesh Psychiatric Association. The Principal Investigator of the TRANSFORM project in Bangladesh, Dr. Tanzir Rashid Saran, presented the project's key research processes, methodologies, findings, and their potential contributions to national-level mental healthcare policy and practice.
The two-day workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders including senior officials from government and non-government organizations, university faculty members, public health experts, representatives from the World Health Organization, and various NGOs. Members of the Korail community — including traditional healers, local medicine vendors, and community health workers — also actively participated in the event.
The program featured presentations by early-career researchers, panel discussions, plenary sessions, and reflections on the lived experiences of slum residents. Speakers underscored the importance of scaling up research-driven mental health initiatives and expressed strong commitment to utilizing the findings to strengthen mental healthcare services nationwide.
The TRANSFORM project is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).