The British High Commission Dhaka and UNFPA Bangladesh, along with key implementing partners, celebrated the successful completion of the £65 million Better Health in Bangladesh (BHB) programme at an event held on 4 December 2024 Wednesday at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. This flagship health initiative by the UK has significantly contributed to improving health outcomes of the people of Bangladesh since its launch in 2018.
Better Health in Bangladesh (BHB) programme has also supported the Government of Bangladesh’s 4th Health Population Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP) through Multi-Donor Trust Funds (MDTF), managed by the World Bank. As the largest bilateral contributor, the UK provided $37 million to incentivize the implementation of 16 disbursement-linked indicators to enhance maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and family planning (FP) services.
In addition to MDTF, BHB’s implementing partners, including UNFPA, WHO, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), and icddr,b played a crucial role in providing technical assistance, generating knowledge, and strengthening health systems. Their collaborative efforts included delivering sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, digitalising health systems, building capacities, and developing strategies to address emerging health challenges. The programme also allocated over £12 million to support Bangladesh’s national COVID-19 response.
Over the past seven years, the BHB programme prevented 2,835 maternal deaths, facilitated the safe delivery of 18,37,682 babies, and provided modern family planningservices to 347,519 women. Additionally, it ensured nutritional care for 420,000 young children, screened over 1 million women for cervical cancer, and accredited 10,345 pharmacies and medicine shops. The programme also trained 18,651 service providers and community leaders to respond to climate-related health shocks and advanced digital health systems, enabling the vaccination of over 5 million people with UK-donated COVID-19 vaccines.
The programme’s achievements have made a significant impact on reducing preventable deaths, improving health outcomes, and tackling critical issues such as antimicrobial resistance and the effects of climate change on health.
At the event, representatives from the UK and its implementing partners reaffirmed their commitment to continuing support for Bangladesh’s health systems and advancing collaborative efforts to address future health challenges.
The event was attended by , PPRC executive chairman and former adviser to the caretaker government. Hossain Zillur Rahman, Secretary of Health Education and Family Welfare Department. Md. Sarwar Bari, John Hopkins University teacher Dr. Halida Hanum Akhtar, UNFPA Bangladesh Acting Country Representative Masaki Watabe, Ex Secretary Ashadul Islam, Dhaka university Professor Syed Abdul hamid, senior government officials, representatives from development partners, NGO/INGOs, academia, and beneficiaries.
