Government of Bangladesh and UNOPS sign $1.6M funding deal to strengthen climate resilience in Bangladesh Dhaka, March 17, 2025

The Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research (IEDCR) and the United  Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) signed the Project Cooperation Agreement on “Strengthen Climate-informed Disease Surveillance and Early Warning System” under the "Global Fund Climate Change & Health Fund for Bangladesh" at IEDCR today. The signing ceremony was officiated by Dr. Tahmina Shirin, Director of IEDCR, and Sudhir Muralidharan, Country Manager of UNOPS Bangladesh, who signed the document on behalf of their respective organisations.

The IEDCR director emphasised the importance of promoting climate resilience, health infrastructure, and sustainable procurement practices for health, highlighting that this project will play a key role in achieving these goals. "This project marks a significant step towards strengthening our healthcare infrastructure and emergency response capabilities, ensuring better preparedness and improved healthcare services for the people of Bangladesh, by IEDCR with the support from UNOPS, reinforcing Bangladesh’s commitment to global health safety and climate resilience," she said. 

The UNOPS Bangladesh Country Manager stated, “At UNOPS, we are committed to supporting the Government of Bangladesh in building sustainable and resilient health systems. This agreement with UNOPS and IEDCR, made possible by funding from the Global Fund, reflects our shared vision of improving the healthcare system and ensuring that the early warning system and disease surveillance mechanism are strengthened."

As this project's primary implementation partner, the National Malaria Elimination Program, Communicable Disease Control program, and Directorate General of Health Services will offer strategic direction to ensure the successful delivery of intended outcomes while facilitating coordination among relevant parties. 

The Global Fund Climate Change & Health Fund will focus on developing climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure, integrating climate adaptation strategies into health services, and strengthening early warning systems for climate-induced diseases. The initiative is expected to benefit millions across Bangladesh, particularly those in climate-vulnerable regions.

This initiative will promote health, wellbeing, and climate resilience, enhance Bangladesh’s global contributions, and align with national and international commitments, including SDGs 3, 5, 13, 10, 16, and 17. The project will last one year and have a total estimated budget of $1.6M.

Senior representatives from the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), the Communicable Disease Control Program (CDC), the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and UNOPS attended the event. 

For more details and other inquiries, contacts can be made through:

Musfika Sultana | Communication Focal Point | UNOPS Bangladesh Office|  musfikas@unops.org | ww.unops.org