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 the IEDCR on Monday.

Tahmina Shirin, director of the IEDCR, and Sudhir Muralidharan, country manager of UNOPS Bangladesh, signed the document on behalf of their respective organisations, read a press release.

The IEDCR director emphasised the importance of promoting climate resilience health infrastructure and sustainable procurement practices on 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.

Sudhir said, “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 early warning system and disease surveillance mechanism is strengthened.”

As the primary implementation partner of this project, the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), Communicable Disease Control Program (CDC), and Directorate General of Heath Services (DGHS) 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 of people across Bangladesh, particularly those in climate-vulnerable regions.

This initiative will promote health, well-being and climate resilience, enhance Bangladesh’s global contributions, and align with national and international commitments, including SDG 3, 5, 13, 10, 16, and 17. The duration of the project will be one year with a total estimated budget of $1.6 million.

Senior representatives from the IEDCR, NMEP, CDC, DGHS, and UNOPS attended the event.