The Human Resources Management Unit of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) of the government and WHO organized a seminar to release the ‘Bangladesh Health Workforce Strategy 2015’ on 4 December in the capital Dhaka. The program was attended by the Minister of Health Mr Mohammed Nasim, MP. The acting WHO Country Representative Dr Edwin Salvador was also present.
The Health Minister in his speech reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen the health workforce of the country. Dr Salvador stressed that quality health workforce as the key to achieving Universal Health Coverage and sustainable development goals by 2030 and added that WHO would continue to provide support to the government to reach this objective.
As the country faces challenges in terms of HRH which includes low density of health workers, inadequate skill mix (especially low number of nurses vs doctors), quality of services, inadequate education and training institutions, governance, HR information systems, incentives and remuneration, WHO supported MOHFW to develop the health workforce strategy. The Strategy provides an extra motivation to walk towards the vision of quality health workforce for the health and wellbeing of the people of Bangladesh as envisioned by the government. Out of 11 countries in SEARO only 6 have developed a workforce strategy or plan, and Bangladesh is now one of them.