WHO Bangladesh Acknowledges Value of Lived Experience Behind The Silence Between Two Heartbeats
Correspondence from the WHO Country Office for Bangladesh recognized the value of lived-experience storytelling while explicitly stating that the organization was not endorsing or approving the publication.
The World Health Organization Country Office for Bangladesh has acknowledged the value of the lived-experience perspective presented in A T M Haidar Khan’s memoir, The Silence Between Two Heartbeats.
In correspondence with the author, Salma Sultana, National Professional Officer (Communication) at WHO Bangladesh, said the organization appreciated the sharing of the personal account and recognized the importance of lived experiences in highlighting the realities of newborn health challenges, disability, caregiving, and family resilience.
The correspondence also noted that personal narratives can contribute meaningfully to public awareness and understanding of important health and social issues. WHO Bangladesh encouraged engagement with professional, academic, civil-society, and public-health platforms addressing maternal, newborn and child health, disability inclusion, autism awareness, patient engagement, and family-centred care.
WHO Bangladesh made clear that, as a matter of policy, it does not provide formal endorsement, certification, or approval of privately authored books, publications, or commercial products. The correspondence therefore represents an acknowledgment of the value of lived-experience storytelling rather than an endorsement of the book.
Source note: Based on correspondence from Salma Sultana, National Professional Officer (Communication), WHO Country Office for Bangladesh, dated 6 September 2026. WHO’s message expressly stated that it was not providing formal endorsement or approval of the publication.