Bangladesh calls for increased investment in universal health

Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has called for increased investment in universal health and well-being for all, including targeted initiatives for youth.

He came up with the call while delivering Bangladesh's national statement at the 58th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD58) at the United Nations Headquarters yesterday, said an official release today (8 April).

In his statement, Rahman highlighted the potential of leveraging social business models by engaging enterprises to reinvest profits into expanding healthcare access, driving innovation in service delivery and empowering communities.

He further reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to global cooperation stating that Bangladesh, as a former Chair and current member of the UNFPA Executive Board, is ready to share its experiences and lessons learned, particularly in the areas of maternal health, gender equality, and climate-resilient health systems.

Prof Rahman also spoke at a high-level side event titled "Improving Health and Well-being for Women and Newborns", organized by UNFPA.

He put emphasis on the critical role of midwives in improving maternal and newborn health and reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to midwifery education, training and creating more midwifery positions for accelerating progress towards achieving SDGs.

Bangladesh currently has around 3,000 professional midwives in service, with ongoing efforts to increase this number further, he added.

Sayedur Rahman is on an official visit to New York to attend the 58th session of the Commission on Population and Development, being held from 7-11 April.

Other members of the delegation includes: Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr Sarwar Bari and Women Affairs Reforms Commission's Chair Shireen Parvin Huq.