Dhaka, Bangladesh, 27–29 October 2025 – The People's Republic of Bangladesh has taken a significant step forward in advancing national preparedness and response capacities for public health emergencies defined by the International Health Regulations (IHR) M&E framework, with the development of its National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS). The three-day Technical Workshop, was jointly convened by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The workshop served as a collaborative platform to refine, align, and outline the strategic component of NAPHS to strengthen Bangladesh’s health security capacities for the period of 2026 – 2030 aligning the global and regional strategic roadmaps and detailing an operational component for implementation during the next two years utilizing the e-NAPHS tool of WHO for effective monitoring.
Building on Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of IHR conducted in Bangladesh in 2024, where national and international experts jointly assessed the country’s capacities under the IHR (2005), highlighting the country’s strengths in emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory networks, and workforce readiness, while also identifying priority areas for improvement especially for other IHR core capacities with identified gaps, the NAPHS process also utilized recommendations from other relevant national health systems reviews and health security assessments, and translated these findings into concrete strategic actions and detailed prioritized activities across 19 technical areas.
“The National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) represents our country’s comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to achieving this goal. It brings together all relevant ministries, departments, and partners under one framework to identify priorities, mobilize resources, and coordinate actions for sustainable health security” said Md. Saidur Rahman, Honorable Secretary, Health Services Division during the opening session. He also highlighted “As we develop this National Action Plan, we will have to ensure that it is not merely a document but a living strategy that guides our actions in the coming years”
A Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach
More than 80 participants from national ministries, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the health emergency operations centre, national laboratories, academia, the Armed Forces, and partner agencies took part in the workshop.
Technical representatives from the three levels of WHO provided facilitation support, methodological guidance, and shared global best practices on health security planning.
The workshop emphasized:
- Alignment of strategic priorities across sectors and institutions
- Realistic prioritization of activities for the first 1–2 years of implementation
- Coordination mechanisms for multisectoral preparedness and response
- Strengthening linkages between human health, animal health, food safety, and environmental sectors, in line with the One Health approach
Translating Assessment Into Action
Participants worked in technical groups to review and validate strategic objectives, refine operational activities, assign responsible institutions for implementation, and determine coordination and financing pathways. Special attention was given to ensuring feasibility, eliminating duplication, and reinforcing multisectoral linkages.
The workshop resulted in a draft consolidated NAPHS that is technically sound, actionable, and aligned with national and global health security priorities.
Dr Reuben Samuel, Programme Area Manager—Country Health Emergency Preparedness and IHR, Health Emergencies Programme, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, in the final session, clearly outlined the suggested way forward for the finalized NAPHS to be formally endorsed and institutionalized by integrating priority actions into national plans, budgets, and coordination mechanisms, supported by a multisectoral oversight structure. In parallel, resource mapping and investment planning should be undertaken to align domestic and external financing, mobilize partners, and ensure sustainable implementation of the agreed action to enhance health security capacities.
Toward Implementation and Monitoring
Following validation and endorsement, the NAPHS will move into implementation planning, including costing, resource mobilization and coordination frameworks. High-level advocacy, continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation and routine testing of national systems using After-Action Reviews/ simulation exercises were identified as key next steps and recommendations for successful implementation of NAPHS. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to maintain momentum, strengthen collaboration, and work toward a resilient, well-prepared, and responsive health system that protects every individual and community and critical health assets in Bangladesh.