Bangladesh launches health adaptation plan for climate resilience
UNFPA Bangladesh has welcomed the government's adoption of the Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) 2026–2031, hailing it as a pivotal move towards establishing a climate-resilient, inclusive, low-carbon, and sustainable health system.
The plan was officially launched on Wednesday at a national workshop in Dhaka, attended by senior government officials, development partners, UN agencies, academics, and civil society representatives.
The HNAP provides a strategic framework to address worsening health risks linked to climate change, including rising temperatures, floods, cyclones, and evolving disease patterns. It outlines targeted strategies and priority actions to strengthen the preparedness and resilience of Bangladesh's health sector, ensure continuity of essential services, and better protect vulnerable populations from climate-related health impacts.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
UNFPA said it worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the World Health Organisation, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, and the ministry's Climate Change and Health Promotion Unit, along with other partners, to develop the HNAP.
The governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden also supported the plan. Their commitment, UNFPA noted, has been instrumental in advancing Bangladesh's climate and health agenda.
Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, facing increased exposure to extreme weather events and climate-sensitive diseases. Climate shocks disrupt access to sexual and reproductive health services, raise maternal health risks, and increase vulnerability to gender-based violence. Building climate-resilient health systems is therefore both essential and a matter of rights and equity.
"The adoption of the Health National Adaptation Plan marks a critical milestone for Bangladesh. Climate change is a public health crisis, disproportionately affecting women and girls," said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative for Bangladesh.
"This plan provides a roadmap to ensure that, even amidst climate shocks, women can give birth safely, women and girls are protected from gender-based violence, young people have access to essential services, and communities can depend on resilient health systems."
The HNAP aligns with Bangladesh's broader National Adaptation Plan and global commitments, underscoring the need for coordinated, multi-sectoral action to reduce the health burden of climate change while strengthening preparedness and response systems. Effective implementation will be vital to safeguarding the health, dignity, and future of millions in Bangladesh.
