BRAC workshop calls for stronger primary healthcare

Bangladesh's primary healthcare system has significant opportunities to become more connected, patient-centred and responsive to emerging health challenges, experts and policymakers said at a two-day national workshop in Dhaka.

Brac, in collaboration with Medtronic LABS and PATH, convened the workshop titled "Leapfrogging Primary Health Care in Bangladesh" at Brac Centre in Mohakhali.

The workshop brought together senior government officials, development partners, technology providers and health experts to explore practical ways to strengthen access, continuity and quality of care across the country.

Discussions focused on how digital tools, stronger referral systems, frontline health worker support and better-integrated patient information systems could help improve primary healthcare delivery, particularly for underserved communities.

The event brought together senior government officials and representatives from relevant government agencies, including SM Ziauddin Hyder, special assistant to the prime minister on health affairs; Professor Zahid Raihan, additional director general for administration; Professor Dr Foara Tasnim, additional director general for planning and development; Dr Abu Ahammad Al Mamun, director for MIS; Dr Syed Kamrul Islam, director for PHC and ITHC; and Dr Kazi Saifuddin Bennoor, director of BMRC.

Representatives from development and funding partners, including ADB, the World Bank Group, JICA, UNICEF, and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, also took part in the discussions.

Technology experts and solution providers, including Delft Imaging, qure.ai, Shukhee and molbio, also participated.

The workshop was organised to address persistent challenges in Bangladesh's primary healthcare system, where many patients continue to face difficulties accessing timely, affordable and continuous care due to fragmented services, weak referral follow-up, incomplete patient records and limited support for frontline health workers.

Over the two days, participants identified seven major gaps across the patient journey.

They discussed five priority solution areas, including digital and AI-supported decision tools, remote specialist support and diagnostics, capacity strengthening for frontline workers, improved provider workflow and patient information systems, and a shared health data and intelligence backbone.

The discussions focused on developing practical, Bangladesh-specific solutions to strengthen patient-centred care, improve coordination across the health system and support future pilot implementation through collaboration among government, development partners, NGOs, researchers, private-sector actors and technology providers.

Speaking at the event, SM Ziauddin Hyder said strengthening primary healthcare remains one of the government's key priorities, particularly to ensure that people in both rural and urban communities can access quality care close to where they live.

He emphasised the importance of promoting preventive healthcare practices, noting that greater public awareness and early care-seeking behaviour will be essential to improving long-term health outcomes.

He also highlighted the role of digitalisation in strengthening primary healthcare delivery, improving coordination and expanding access to services across the country.

Speaking during the workshop, Brac Executive Director Asif Saleh said Bangladesh now has an opportunity to rethink how primary healthcare is organised and delivered, particularly for communities that remain underserved, hard to reach or vulnerable to climate and economic shocks.

He said that while Bangladesh has built important foundations in community-based healthcare and frontline service delivery, patients still often experience the system as fragmented, episodic and difficult to navigate.

Addressing the growing complexity of health challenges, including non-communicable diseases, mental health, maternal and child health, and climate-related risks, will require moving towards more integrated, continuous and patient-centred models of care, he said.

"Leapfrogging is not simply about digitising existing systems," said Asif Saleh.

"It is about reorganising care around the patient – ensuring that the right information, the right provider and the right support are available at the right time across the full care journey," he added.

He further said emerging digital infrastructure, advances in AI and data systems, expanding policy ambition around integrated primary healthcare, and growing interest from partners together create a rare window of opportunity for Bangladesh to build a stronger and more connected healthcare system.

Asif also said that lessons emerging from Bangladesh could have broader relevance for other countries, particularly developing countries in the Global South facing similar pressures on primary healthcare systems.

"The challenge of effective primary healthcare is global," he said.

"If we can demonstrate practical, scalable approaches that improve continuity, quality and access in Bangladesh, there is potential for those lessons to inform health systems across many parts of the Global South," he added.