Green Star Program (GSP)

Green Star: An Innovative Approach to Engage Medicine and Health Product Seller in Delivering Primary Healthcare Services

Green Star Providers (GSPs) are part of an effective and innovative network of SMC to ensure minimum primary health care service through them. The GSPs are the medicine and public health products sellers of the community. In many cases, they are the primary contact for public health services at the community level. Depending on their locations, GSPs often act as point-of-contact for people seeking remedies for minor ailments, such as diarrhea, cough, fever, weakness, helminthiasis, etc.

Green Star Program was initiated in 2018. Initially the program engaged them to administer follow-up doses of injectable contraceptive services and to provide nutritional counselling to caregivers/mothers of children under five. They promote rational use of drugs as well.

GSPs now refer suspected TB cases and potential Long-Acting and Permanent Method (LAPM) clients to the nearest service delivery center. They also provide counselling to the pregnant mothers for taking ANC services, institutional delivery and promote use of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements among pregnant mothers.

Selection criteria for Green Star Providers include minimum SSC level education, a pharmacy with a separate space for counselling and services, has female and child client flow, valid drug license, at least two years of business experience, and willingness to attend training programs of SMC.

SMC provides two-days long basic training to the GSPs, using a comprehensive training curriculum on specific public health issues such as, injectable contraceptives, necessary messages on nutrition for children under five, management of TB cases, counselling skills for pregnant mothers, benefits of consumption of zinc and rational use of drugs etc. They also undergo refresher training to resolve various kinds of problems they face during the service delivery at their facilities. SMC personnel, mostly Program Officers periodically visit the GSP outlets and provide on-site technical assistance to improve their knowledge and skills.

Major Accomplishments 

(October 2021 to September 2022)

·   0.71 million vials of injectables sold

·   5.22 million sachets of Micronutrient Powder distributed to prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia among under-5 children

·   0.22 million Multiple Micronutrient Supplements blisters sold for pregnant women

·   1.14 million Deworming tablets sold

·   78 thousand Zinc tablets sold as an adjunct therapy for diarrhea

·  88% of providers send their monthly report through a mobile-based Electronic Reporting System

Green Star service delivery outlets are branded with different materials like, signage, stickers, and posters.SMC promotes Green Star outlets and the network through comprehensive demand creation activities by using local media like miking, distributing brochure, leaflet, etc.Currently, Green Star network has more than 4,344 providers across the country. One-third of them are based in urban areas and the rest are in rural areas.

Green Star Providers use Electronic Reporting System (GSERS)through Interactive Voice Response (IVR), atechnology-based electronic reporting systemtosend their monthly performance reports to SMC. The performance report includes injectable administration, referral service, and other major public health product distribution.

Division-wise coverage of Green Star Providers:

Division

Rural

%

Urban

%

Total

Dhaka

435

44

557

56

992

Chattogram

515

67

251

33

766

Rajshahi

446

80

109

20

555

Khulna

455

72

174

28

629

Rangpur

423

76

131

24

554

Sylhet

220

66

111

34

331

Barishal

266

75

91

25

357

Mymensingh

52

33

108

68

160

Total

2,812

65

1,532

35

4,344