The Health Providers (Pharmacists/ drug sellers, rural and non-graduate medical practitioners) are one of the major sources of health information and prescriber of medicine, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. In realization of their role in improving the health services, SMC has been conducting a one-day training session for them since 1986.

The primary objective of SMC's Health Providers Training Program (HPTP) is to increase correct knowledge on contraceptive methods, ORT/ORS user and STD/AIDS management and prevention among the Health Providers, which will enable them to provide quality services over the counter and dissiminate correct information to the customers.

The training program is conducted by 4 teams based at the regional levels in Dhaka, Comilla, Bogra and Khulna in order to cover the whole country. Each training team consists of three members headed by a medical graduate, who jointly organize programs at the Thana and Union level. Approximately 17,000 health providers receive training each year through the HPTP.

Rural Bangladesh has a very little mass media option. Low literacy level and penetration of electronic media like TV and radio restrict their usage. SMC therefore, chose Mobile Audio Visual Programme (MAVP) as one of the important strategies to reach the rural population since 1980.

The objective of operating MAVP is to educate people on family planning, health and AIDS prevention, ORT and other social priority issues like anti-trafficking, importance of education etc, through enter-education films.

The two and half hours program is shown at different village points in the evening. The MAVP team reaches a village in the afternoon and makes announcement about film show, which is held later in the evening. The film show includes educational films on family planning, child health and maternal health.

Currently, SMC operates 10 Mobile Film Units covering approximately 220 shows in a month. On an average about 1,000 as an audience enjoy each show.

Tele-Jiggasha" is a unique programme initiated in 2001 by Social Marketing Company. It is a distant counselling programme conducted through a Hotline service; which is dedicated to counsel callers on psychological problems, sexual health related matters and STD/HIV-AIDS prevention.

This service provides separate booths for male and female with four part time Health Counsellors. Calls are received and enquiries related to health problems are responded to by the Health Counsellors. The callers' identity remains anonymous and all information provided by the callers are kept strictly confidential. On an average, 40 calls are received per day in the two booths.

The Tele-Jiggasha service is open from 9 am - 5pm, five days a week, from Sunday to Thursday.

Tele-Jiggasha numbers are: 02 - 8811475, 01730338583 (female), 02 - 8812670, 01730059364 (male)

SMC publishes a health newsletter called “ALAP”, which is published twice a year. It focuses on a particular public health issue and what SMC is doing about it in terms of resolving that issue. There is also a section on SMC’s recent news and events, as well as quiz competition, etc.

Its total circulation is 60,000 and the priority is given to the Blue Star Providers (approximately 3,500 to 3,600). The rest are given to those who have received the Health Providers’ Training Programme (HPTP). These include RMPs and NGMPs.