Where Women Lead: Expanding Care and Opportunity Through the Komlaphul Pharmacy Initiative

Dhaka, Bangladesh - During her first pregnancy, Afroza had easier access to care. In her village, health facilities were nearby and routine check-ups felt manageable.

Now three months into her second pregnancy, she lives in Mukti Songhoton, a densely populated settlement in Dhaka. Government hospitals are scarce, and long journeys feel daunting unless there is a serious complication.

“I don’t usually go to the hospital,” she says. “If there is any problem, I take advice from the pharmacy.”

For many women in low-income urban communities, pharmacies are the first, and sometimes only point of contact with the health system. Especially for pregnant women and new mothers, the neighborhood pharmacy can feel more accessible than a distant clinic.

“If midwives or trained women are here,” Afroza adds, “it is much better for us.”

Across Bangladesh, an estimated five million women who want to use modern contraception still face barriers to access. In underserved urban areas, women may hesitate to discuss sensitive sexual and reproductive health concerns with male providers behind crowded counters. Distance, time constraints and social norms can delay care-seeking.

The Komolaphul Pharmacy initiative is helping to change that. Supported by UNFPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and in partnership with City Bank, the initiative trains young women as professional pharmacy associates and places them in pharmacies to provide confidential sexual and reproductive health information, counselling and referrals.

Implemented with partners including Jhpiego and the Bangladesh Chemists and Druggists Samity, the initiative strengthens pharmacies as safe entry points for maternity care  guidance, voluntary family planning information and referral to appropriate services.

Since its launch in  September 2025, 120 female pharmacy associates have been trained and deployed across 108 pharmacies in five districts. In just three months, they helped dispense more than 162,000 pieces of condoms and over 53,000 cycles of contraceptive pills, alongside referrals for antenatal care, postnatal care, deliveries, injectables and long-acting reversible contraceptives.

Beyond commodities, the associates offer something equally important - privacy, time and trust. Designated counselling corners within participating pharmacies create space for confidential conversations. Associates receive structured training in ethical standards, respectful communication and referral pathways to public and private facilities when more complex care is needed.

A Komlaphul Pharmacy application supports the model by registering clients, tracking commodity availability and facilitating referrals. This strengthens continuity of care and links private retail pharmacies more effectively into the broader health system.

For Nazimuddin Bablu, a pharmacy owner in Mukti Songhoton, the impact has been clear.

“The training provided to the girls is excellent,” he says. “When pregnant women or women who have had miscarriages come, they explain services very well. This is a huge benefit for us.”

Before joining the initiative, he had never employed a female pharmacy associate. “Female pharmacists are rare in Bangladesh,” he explains. “If more girls come into this profession, it will help women in the community.”

The initiative addresses two challenges simultaneously. It expands access to timely and accurate health information in areas where formal facilities are limited. It also opens professional pathways for young women in a sector historically dominated by men.

Komlaphul recruits young women from lower-income backgrounds and provides structured training, internships and ongoing mentorship. Its long-term vision extends beyond employment. Through pharmacy technician certification, associates are expected to establish and operate their own independent pharmacies, strengthening female entrepreneurship in the retail pharmacy sector. This pathway offers greater autonomy, increased income potential and the opportunity to directly improve healthcare access within their own communities.

The initiative faced early hesitation in some conservative communities, where young women working in pharmacies were unfamiliar. Project teams engaged pharmacy owners, schoolteachers and community members in dialogue, demonstrating the professionalism and ethical standards upheld by participating pharmacies. Over time, trust grew.

At the national level, the Directorate General of Health Services, the Directorate General of Family Planning, the Directorate General of Drug Administration and the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh provide technical oversight, review training materials and conduct monitoring visits, helping institutionalize quality standards. UNFPA works closely with government partners to integrate the model into operational planning frameworks, strengthening sustainability.

The initiative is already attracting interest for expansion. A private sector partner has committed to supporting the training and deployment of an additional 120 associates in five new districts, reflecting growing recognition of the approach as both a public health solution and a viable business model.

For Afroza, the change may appear simple. She has not yet visited a Komlaphul Pharmacy, but after attending a recent awareness session, she says she plans to.

In communities where distance, cost and stigma keep women away from formal facilities, the presence of a trained female associate behind a pharmacy counter can make the difference between silence and informed choice. Sometimes, strengthening a health system does not begin in a hospital. It can begin at a neighborhood pharmacy, where a woman feels comfortable enough to speak, and another woman is ready to lead.