The government of Bangladesh and the European Investment Bank (EIB) plan to invest €250 million in women’s health and strengthen the country’s healthcare system, with services expected to reach around 47 million women and adolescent girls between 2027 and 2031.

The initiative, titled ‘Women’s Health Initiative’, was unveiled at a meeting on women’s health and healthcare resilience at the Bangladesh Embassy in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday, on the sidelines of the World Health Summit 2026, according to a press release.

The programme will focus on maternal and newborn healthcare, cervical and breast cancer treatment, emergency obstetric services and stronger primary healthcare facilities. It will also strengthen district hospitals, patient referral and transfer systems, critical care services and preparedness for pandemics and other health emergencies.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain and Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Health Dr Ziauddin Hyder led the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.

Husain said protecting the health of women and adolescent girls was crucial to the country’s future, adding that partnerships with the EIB and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) would help improve healthcare access and prioritise disease prevention.

Hyder said the investment would help shift the healthcare system from a treatment-oriented model towards disease prevention and health promotion.

EIB Vice-President Marek Mora said investing in women’s health would contribute to stronger families, more resilient communities and sustainable economic development.

UNFPA and its ‘WomenX Collective’ programme supported the initiative’s development and will provide technical assistance during implementation. UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita said the initiative would help address long-standing funding gaps in women’s health and improve healthcare for millions of women and adolescent girls.

As part of wider healthcare reforms, Bangladesh has pledged to gradually increase public health expenditure from 1% to 5% of GDP, according to the release.

The government also plans to recruit 100,000 community health workers, 80% of whom will be women, alongside 25,000 professional midwives for government healthcare facilities.

UNFPA is mobilising at least €5 million in grant funding to provide technical assistance for the programme. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and private-sector partners are also supporting the initiative.

The government is scheduled to present the programme at a panel discussion at the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin on Sunday.

The EIB is the European Union’s financing arm, owned by its 27 member states, while UNFPA is the UN agency focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Its partnership with the Bangladesh government dates back to 1974.