Experts have emphasised the importance of coordinated HRH policy actions, capacity building, and long-term workforce strategies to achieve universal health coverage and ensure equitable access to quality primary health care across Bangladesh.
The Human Resources Branch of the Health Services Division (HSD) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Bangladesh, organised a dissemination seminar titled “Advancing Primary Health Care through Strategic Workforce Actions” on 28 October 2025 at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
The event brought together senior government officials, researchers, academicians, and development partners to discuss evidence-based strategies for strengthening Bangladesh’s primary health care (PHC) system through effective human resources for health (HRH) planning, read a press release.
The initiative aimed to translate HRH research into actionable policy recommendations to improve workforce performance, retention, and equity in service delivery across all levels of the health system.
Technical presentations were delivered by Md Nuruzzaman of WHO Bangladesh, Md Masbaur Rahman and Professor Md Ziaul Islam of NIPSOM, Dr Md Nurnabi Sheikh of the University of Glasgow, and Dr Shahana Sultana of Bangladesh Medical University.
The discussions covered themes such as competency mapping, the evolving role of nurses in rural health care, the effectiveness of field training, and recruitment and career progression challenges.
An open discussion session brought together representatives from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), and Health Economics Unit (HEU).
The dialogue focused on decentralising recruitment, addressing gender disparities, and modernising workforce planning mechanisms to strengthen the national health system.
The seminar was attended by WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, Director General of Health Services Professor Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Special Assistant (State Minister) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Professor Md Sayedur Rahman, and Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Md Saidur Rahman.
