Listening to Communities to Shape Better NCD Care: GRMCS Field Insights for BRAC’s 360-Degree Care Project

GRM Consulting Services Limited (GRMCS) is working with BRAC Health Program on the research project titled “Development of a Social & Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy for the 360-degree NCD Care Management Project.”

As part of this assignment, GRMCS conducted field visits to gather community-level insights and better understand the real-life context of NCD prevention, care, and management. The research team, comprising Syed Sajidur Rahman, Assistant Manager – Research, Evaluation & Knowledge Management; Laboni Parvin, Senior Research Officer; and Kazi Nishat Aunjum (Semonti), Research Associate, visited Kurigram, including Nageshwari Upazila and Fulbari Upazila, as well as Narayanganj.

The visits helped the team observe the everyday realities of rural and semi-urban communities, including people’s lifestyle, food habits, physical activity, health awareness, treatment-seeking behaviour, and barriers to accessing care. These insights are essential for developing an SBCC strategy that is practical, inclusive, and grounded in people’s lived experiences.

In Nageshwari and Fulbari, the team observed how local context, household responsibilities, income patterns, transport challenges, family influence, and community trust shape health behaviour. In Narayanganj, the semi-urban and industrial setting offered additional perspectives on lifestyle, work pressure, mobility, and access to health services.

The field findings will support the development of an evidence-informed SBCC strategy focused on improving awareness, encouraging preventive practices, strengthening health-seeking behaviour, and supporting long-term care management for people at risk of or living with NCDs.

Through this collaboration with BRAC, GRMCS remains committed to people-centred research and evidence-based programme design. The field visit marks an important step toward developing communication approaches that reflect the voices, needs, and realities of the communities the project aims to serve.