The US government will invest $63 billion in Bangladesh and 7 other countries to strengthen the health and family planning system and to develop the nutritional status of the people till 2015.
Under its Global Health Initiative (GHI) programme, the US government has already provided $54 million to Bangladesh as one of the “GHI Plus” countries this year.
Though the GHI began in May 2009, the programme was formally launched by Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque at a city hotel yesterday.
The GHI programme will work to reduce maternal and child mortality, control infectious diseases, strengthen family planning methods and increase nutritional status of the country.
It will also help Bangladesh in achieving some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, said Denise Rollins, mission director of USAID.
The GHI partnership will help Bangladesh to be a global health leader in this region, said US Ambassador to Bangladesh James F Moriarty.
He also applauded Bangladesh’s status in achieving the MDGs in health, which are central to GHI.
The health minister AFM Ruhal Haque however said that despite progress in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, Bangladesh needs to work to reduce the mortality caused by infectious diseases.
