Bangladesh and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have outlined plans to direct €250 million towards improving women’s healthcare and strengthening the country’s health system, with essential services expected to reach approximately 47 million women and girls between 2027 and 2031.

The proposed programme, titled the Women’s Health Initiative, was presented at a high-level meeting at the Bangladesh Embassy in Berlin on Saturday, October 10, on the sidelines of the World Health Summit 2026.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hussain and the prime minister’s special adviser on health, Dr. Ziauddin Hyder, led the Bangladesh delegation.

According to a UNFPA statement, the initiative proposes using funds under an existing EIB sovereign loan approved in 2021 for Bangladesh’s COVID-19 immunisation programme, pandemic preparedness and health system resilience. The announcement therefore concerns a proposed redirection of previously approved financing towards women’s health and stronger healthcare services.

The programme would expand maternal and newborn care, cervical and breast cancer services, and access to emergency obstetric care. It would also strengthen primary healthcare facilities, district hospitals, patient referral systems and critical care.

Alongside improving everyday services, the initiative aims to help healthcare facilities respond more effectively to future pandemics and other emergencies.

Hussain said the health and well-being of women and girls were fundamental to Bangladesh’s future. He emphasised the government’s commitment to a more equitable health system that prioritises prevention and brings quality services closer to communities.

Partnerships with the EIB and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), he said, would help translate that ambition into lasting improvements.

Hyder highlighted the government’s intention to move from a predominantly treatment-based system towards one centred on disease prevention and health promotion. The proposed investment, he said, would support that national transition.

EIB Vice-President Marek Mora emphasised the wider benefits of investing in women’s health, linking better healthcare to stronger families, more resilient communities and sustainable economic development.

The initiative brings together long-term development financing and specialist expertise to improve access to essential services.

UNFPA and its WomenX Collective innovation programme supported the development of the initiative and are expected to provide technical expertise during implementation.

UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita said women’s health remained critically underfunded. She highlighted the opportunity to combine national leadership and development financing to deliver measurable, equitable and lasting improvements for millions of women and girls.

The proposal comes as Bangladesh pursues broader health reforms. According to the statement, the government has committed to progressively increasing public health expenditure from approximately 1 per cent to 5 per cent of gross domestic product.

Its wider reform plans also include recruiting 100,000 community health workers, 80 per cent of them women, and deploying 25,000 professional midwives across public primary and secondary healthcare facilities. These commitments form part of the national reform agenda rather than recruitment targets exclusive to the proposed EIB-funded programme.

UNFPA is seeking to mobilise at least €25 million in grant funding for technical assistance, building on commitments from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and private sector partners.

At the centre of the initiative is an effort to connect community care with stronger hospital services, ensuring that women and girls can access appropriate treatment throughout their lives. If implemented as proposed, it would widen access to essential care while strengthening Bangladesh’s capacity to meet both routine health needs and future emergencies.