Swedish Government and TIB Joined Hands: A new project launched to strengthen governance in sexual and reproductive healthcare
Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) inaugurated a new project, “Strengthening Integrity and Accountability in Sexual and Reproductive Health Systems in Bangladesh”, aiming at the quality improvement of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services for women and adolescent girls and ensuring transparency and accountability in service delivery. Under the project, direct evidence on service delivery will be collected at the union level, and community facilitators will monitor selected indicators to identify existing healthcare and governance-related challenges at 16 selected Union Health and Family Welfare Centres in Lakshmipur and Nilphamari districts. Funded by the Swedish Government and implemented with support from Transparency International Global Health, the multi-country project is being carried out in Bangladesh alongside Zambia, Ecuador, and Tunisia.
Speaking as the chief guest at the event held today (Sunday) at TIB’s Dhanmondi office, the Honourable Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hussain, said, “Under the Prime Minister’s directive, we are firmly committed to establishing good governance and taking a strong stance against corruption in the health sector. In this context, TIB’s project is a timely and valuable initiative. The government remains committed to providing all necessary support, from the field level to the policymaking level, for its successful implementation.”
Speaking as a special guest, Dr. Syeda Naushin Parnini, Additional Secretary (Development Wing) of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, said, “TIB’s project is a timely initiative to strengthen transparency and integrity in Bangladesh’s sexual and reproductive health system. As a pilot initiative, the project has selected Nilphamari and Lakshmipur, alongside Dhaka, and I believe there are sound reasons for choosing these districts.”
Welcoming the initiative, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning, Dr. Jinnat Rehana, said as a special guest, “We welcome this project as an effective mechanism for identifying gaps in the sexual and reproductive health sector. If the project shares its monitoring findings and identifies specific challenges with us, we will be able to take prompt measures to improve service quality by addressing similar issues across other unified health centers.”
Highlighting that the health sector is one of TIB’s priority areas for research, public engagement, and advocacy at both the national and local levels, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “The active cooperation and participation of the government, along with all relevant stakeholders at every level, are crucial for the successful implementation of this project, which has been designed to improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services while ensuring integrity and accountability.”
Project Coordinator Dr. Mushfika Mizan presented the project’s implementation plan in detail during the consultation workshop. The open discussion and experience-sharing session was chaired by Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Adviser, Executive Management, TIB. Participants shared their experiences regarding existing challenges, irregularities, and service recipients’ experiences at health centers, while exchanging views on practical solutions.
Under the project, TIB will conduct regular monitoring of the selected health centers, collect feedback directly from service recipients, facilitate community meetings to encourage active citizen participation at the local level, and undertake continuous advocacy and engagement with relevant authorities at the local, upazila, district, and national levels. The project is aligned with Bangladesh’s national health sector priorities, universal health coverage, gender equality, and the global anti-corruption agenda.