Zubaida Rahman has called for global partnerships and innovative financing to support sustainable investment in women's health.
She said traditional development assistance alone cannot meet the growing healthcare needs of Bangladesh's population.
The wife of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and vice-president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation made the call at the World Health Summit in Germany’s Berlin on Monday.
“Investing in women's health is not merely an expenditure on healthcare. Women account for around 51 percent of our population. Investing in their health means investing in human capital, economic prosperity and the future of our nations,” she said.
She said the vision of building a healthier and more prosperous Bangladesh rested on that belief.
We need a combination of innovative financing, national commitment, concessional investment, grant-based technical assistance and sustainable domestic resources,” she said.
Speaking at a high-level session titled “The Moment Is Now: Unlocking New Capital for Women's Health Beyond Aid”, Zubaida outlined Bangladesh's plans to improve women's healthcare, ensure safe motherhood and strengthen international partnerships.
The summit began on Oct 11.
She said the government, formed with strong public support under Tarique, was committed to advancing a new generation of transformative investment in women's health.
The effort, she said, must go beyond maternal healthcare to ensure that every girl grows up educated, well-nourished and empowered.
She said initiatives such as the Family Card, Farmer Card and free education up to the undergraduate level were helping create better prospects for women in Bangladesh.
The government was committed to addressing anaemia among adolescent girls, maternal malnutrition, preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and the growing burden of life-threatening cancers among women, she said.
“These are not isolated initiatives but interconnected investments across the life cycle of millions of women living in remote parts of Bangladesh,” she said.
The goal, she added, was to build a healthcare system that was responsive to the needs of adolescent girls and women, protected their health, respected their dignity and brought services closer to their homes.
Plans to Expand Maternal Healthcare
Zubaida said a major commitment of the current government was to transform maternal and newborn healthcare.
The government plans to recruit 100,000 community and well-being workers across Bangladesh to expand healthcare services, around 80 percent of whom will be women. It also plans to recruit another 25,000 professional midwives.
She said the initiatives aimed to promote safe, normal childbirth, reduce unnecessary medical interventions and ensure that every woman received skilled and compassionate maternity care.
“No woman in any part of Bangladesh should have to travel beyond her Upazila health complex or district hospital to receive the comprehensive maternal and newborn healthcare she needs,” she said.
She called on international partners, development finance institutions, philanthropic organisations and private-sector representatives to stand alongside Bangladesh in strengthening women's healthcare.
At the beginning of her speech, she thanked the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“Every girl in Bangladesh deserves a safe childhood. Every mother in every family deserves to give birth safely. And every woman in rural and urban areas should have the opportunity to live a long and productive life,” she said.
Zubaida concluded by saying Bangladesh would demonstrate how political commitment, innovative financing and international partnerships could work together to improve women's health.
€250mn in Loans Restructured for Women's Health
One of the key outcomes of Bangladesh's participation in the World Health Summit was the announcement of an agreement to restructure a €250 million sovereign loan from the European Investment Bank for use in a women's health initiative.
The initiative aims to bring around 47 million women and adolescent girls under healthcare services between 2027 and 2031.
UNFPA will work with the government as a partner in implementing the programme.