08/07/2025
15th Social Business Day 2025 Kicks Off in Dhaka with a Call for Purpose-Driven Healthcare for All
Theme: Social Business is the most efficient path to ensure healthcare for all
Date: 27-28 June 2025
Venue: Samajik Convention Centre, Zirabo, Savar
At the Social Business Day-2025 event, dynamic discussions and dialogues unfolded, shaping actionable strategies, fostering strategic partnerships, and nurturing community-driven commitments. These outcomes are geared towards propelling the social business movement for deeper integration into policies, practices, and grassroots innovations. Distinguished speakers from diverse backgrounds highlighted Bangladesh's pioneering role in offering scalable, sustainable, and inclusive healthcare, education, and societal change models, showcasing social business as a thriving global initiative.
This fed into Plenary 1: The 3Ds Transforming Healthcare — Democracy, Demographics, and Digitization, which explored the intersection of policy, participation, and technology. Moderated by Ahmed Armaan Siddiqui, CEO and Board Member, Grameen HealthTech Limited and Acting CEO, Shamadhan Services Ltd, Plenary 1 titled “The 3Ds Transforming Healthcare — Democracy, Demographics, and Digitization” explored how inclusive policy, active citizen participation, and technology are reshaping global healthcare. In his opening remarks, Dr. Armaan emphasized the need to reimagine healthcare as a fundamental right driven by equitable access, evolving population needs, and digital innovation. The session featured Professor Dr. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Interim Government of Bangladesh, on participatory governance in health, Dr. Halida Hanum Akhter on digital health as a democratic equalizer, Dr. Tobias Silberzahn, CEO of A Healthier Future GmbH, Germany, on hybrid care models blending digital and physical services, Professor Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Chairman - Internet Governance Forum’s DC - Digital Health & Chairman- Commonwealth AI Consortium for Capacity Building, India, on India’s nationwide digital health rollout, Dr. Scott Leckman contrasting charity with social business, Dr. Scott Leckman , General Surgeon, Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund, USA, on the importance of digitizing healthcare to improve accessibility, and Md. Ashraful Hassan, Chairman of Grameen Group, shared how Grameen’s telemedicine platform has already touched millions of lives. Together, they offered powerful insights on how the 3Ds are transforming healthcare into a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable system.
Crowning the momentum was the global launch of Shukhee, Grameen HealthTech’s inclusive digital health platform. “From smartphone users to feature phone users via their shortcode 10657, and rural patients supported by trained ambassadors—Shukhee is care without boundaries,” said Dr. Ahmed Armaan Siddiqui, CEO of Grameen HealthTech. With 2.8 million users and 68,000+ video consultations already completed, the platform was further recognized through the official launch of Bangladesh’s first national health ecosystem under ECHAlliance. The day also saw a landmark MoU with Nepal’s Centre for Self-help Development (CSD), marking Nepal as the first international adopter of the Shukhee model. “This is just the beginning of our global journey,” said Dr. Armaan. “A cross-border collaboration built on trust, technology, and shared purpose,” echoed CSD Chairperson Shankar Man Shrestha. Another signing ceremony held between WKS international Thailand and Shukhee.
SBD 2025 Reaffirmed that Social Business is not just a theory—it is a growing global movement, with Bangladesh at the helm, offering scalable, sustainable, and inclusive models for healthcare, education, and social transformation.
