James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH), Brac University, will organise the three-day conference, the first of its kind in the country, at Brac Centre to promote neglected public health issues such as sexuality, organisers said yesterday.

The JPGSPH, which offers public health education in the country with students from all continents, last month organised another workshop on 'health equity' in collaboration with the World Bank Institute.

Sabina Faiz Rashid, coordinator of the conference, said the main objective of the conference is to create capacity among future public health professionals, build network among all concerned and promote social awareness about gender and reproductive health, the two underdeveloped areas in terms of conceptual, operational and policy perspective in Bangladesh.

Department for International Development (DFID) has been funding the programme under the Research Programme Consortium (RPC) of Realising Rights; Improving Sexuality and Reproductive Health for Poor and Vulnerable.

Speakers from the USA, the UK, Turkey, Kenya, Pakistan and India are expected to join the programme.