Bangladesh health sector unites for quality improvement drive
Over 200 health professionals, policymakers, and partners from all sectors convened at the Bangladesh Quality Improvement Convention 2025 at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, unified by the theme: "Collective Effort for Transforming Healthcare."
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and other partners organised the convention to drive national collaboration and learning for lasting healthcare quality improvement.
Professor Dr Md Abu Zafar, Director General, DGHS, chaired the convention. Professor Dr Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant (Health) to the Chief Adviser, attended as Chief Guest. Dr Sarowar Bari, Secretary, Medical Education & Family Welfare Division, and Md Saidur Rahman, Secretary, Health Services Division, were present as Special Guests.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In his opening remarks, Dr Zainal Abedin Tito, Line Director, Hospital Services Management, DGHS, underlined that quality is a daily discipline rather than a destination: "This convention signals that safe, high-quality care is now the order of the day—and must sit at the heart of service delivery in Bangladesh."
Dr Ashrafi Ahmad, NDC, Director General, Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), noted: "Bangladesh is moving beyond a project mindset. Quality starts with strong leadership and inspiration. With partner support, we expect meaningful gains during this period of transformation."
The day featured keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and poster presentations by 15 finalists showcasing innovations to lift care quality. Panels explored the National Quality Framework, healthcare innovation, patient safety, public–private partnerships, health financing, and the role of infrastructure in delivering quality services. Breakouts focused on digital health and AI-enabled improvement, maternal, newborn, and child health, NCDs, urban health, and practical QI methods, tools, and strategies.
As recognition of on-the-ground leadership, 11 Quality Improvement Champions from districts nationwide were honoured for pioneering contributions to better care.
Key recommendations adopted
- Close gaps in National Quality Framework implementation: apply standards more rigorously, increase investment in QI, and prioritise continuous training.
- Establish QI teams in all health facilities, adopt evidence-based cycles (e.g., PDCA), strengthen documentation, and entrench patient-centred care.
- Build a robust patient-safety culture: reduce infections, enforce safety protocols, and ensure leadership-driven accountability.
- Increase budget allocations for quality improvement, tighten financial oversight, and deepen public–private collaboration to secure equitable, quality care for all.
- Institutionalise continuous professional development to empower health workers, raise care standards, and sustain gains.
Closing the convention, Professor Dr Sayedur Rahman stated: "This gathering marks a defining moment—uniting us behind a shared goal: safe, effective, and people-centred care. Real progress demands collective systems, strong leadership, and respect for context. Let this convention spark a nationwide movement toward universal health coverage and the SDGs."
