WHO Bangladesh gets $8.5m in aid from Swedish govt

The Government of Sweden will support Bangladesh in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by channelling $8.5 million to World Health Organisation (WHO) Bangladesh through the project "Strengthening the Health System in Bangladesh". 

The partnership between the Swedish government and WHO Bangladesh will invigorate the national health financing to amplify the country's capacity for detection and containment of antimicrobial resistance, improve mental health care, uphold the quality of health services in Cox's Bazar district, and ultimately reach Universal Health Coverage, said a press release. 

"Sweden is happy to join forces with WHO and Bangladesh in supporting the implementation of Agenda 2030. This is the first time Sweden and WHO cooperate on country level. Health is a priority for Sweden's engagement globally and in Bangladesh and we hope that this new collaboration, which focuses on important health issues, will benefit the people of Bangladesh", said the Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde, reiterating the importance of the partnership.

 "Some of the challenges for the health systems in Bangladesh remain critical", said WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana. 

"We identified five key elements for achieving health for all: reduce exclusion and social disparities in health; organize health services around people's needs and expectations; integrate health into all sectors; pursue collaborative models of policy dialogue, and increase the stakeholders' participation. The Government of Sweden's funding, which reflects the financing for sustainable development in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal 17, will help the Government of Bangladesh achieve the 2030 targets,"  Dr Bardan Jung Rana added.