Bangladesh is taking concrete steps to build a more capable and coordinated health workforce to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies, led by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) with support from the Pandemic Fund, World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.
Three initiatives in 2026 are targeting different but connected parts of the emergency health workforce: strengthening One Health field epidemiology competencies among the human health and animal health workforce; improving the capacity of community workforces involved in emergency management; and developing leadership capabilities among laboratory professionals.
“Effective preparedness depends on having the right skills and connections at every level, from community health workers who may be the first to identify a threat, to epidemiologists who investigate it and laboratory professionals who help identify its cause,” said Dr Quazi Ahmed Zaki, Director, IEDCR. “By strengthening these capabilities and the links between them, Bangladesh can detect risks earlier and respond faster when emergencies occur.”
From 27–30 September, IEDCR and WHO held Bangladesh’s first Competencies for One Health Field Epidemiology Mentorship Workshop in Gazipur, bringing together 29 mentors, field epidemiologists and other stakeholders from the human, animal and environmental health sectors.
The workshop used practical exercises, group discussions and experience sharing to strengthen mentorship within Bangladesh’s field epidemiology programme and support the development of a structured, competency-based mentorship system that follows a One Health approach. Participants will be better equipped to help field epidemiology teams translate classroom learning into the practical skills needed to investigate and respond to emerging health threats in an increasingly complex and changing disease environment.
“Disease threats do not stop at the boundaries between human, animal and environmental health. An outbreak may first appear in animals, people or the environment, but understanding how it spreads requires investigation across all three,” said Dr Anthony Eshofonie, Team Lead, Health Emergencies, WHO Bangladesh. “To do this, field epidemiologists must be able to draw on evidence from across sectors, identify the source of the threat and guide an effective response.”
/countries/bangladesh/8059.jpg?sfvrsn=96b45d77_6 "Technical support to district health workers to plan and monitor immunization sessions")
From delivering immunization services to detecting and reporting disease threats, community health workers play a vital role in public health. Strengthening their coordination, training and emergency preparedness is essential to building a more effective and resilient health emergency response system. (WHO/Christine McNab)
In July, IEDCR and WHO brought together 47 representatives from 21 organizations in Dhaka to map Bangladesh’s community health workforce and identify opportunities to improve coordination, training and preparedness.
The mapping highlighted the many roles community-based workers already play, including disease surveillance, risk communication, immunization, maternal and child health, psychosocial support, disaster preparedness and community mobilization. It also identified opportunities to improve communication, referral and reporting systems, harmonize training and strengthen emergency preparedness competencies, building on existing networks rather than creating parallel structures.
Bangladesh has now also finalized the national adaptation of the WHO Global Laboratory Leadership Programme, following a workshop on 28–29 September with 16 experts from key government and non-government partners. The competency-based programme will equip laboratory professionals with skills to manage quality services, improve biosafety and biosecurity, and coordinate responses to public health threats, while promoting collaboration across sectors. It is now being integrated into the national laboratory system, rather than introduced as a standalone training course.
Building national capacity, strengthening regional health security
All three initiatives are supported by the Pandemic Fund, a global financing mechanism that helps countries strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia is coordinating the multi-country project, which supports eight participating countries in the Region, including Bangladesh, to strengthen critical health security workforce capacities across field epidemiology, community health and laboratory services.
“A health emergency in one country can quickly threaten an entire region, making national preparedness vital to collective health security,” said Dhamari Naidoo, Acting Regional Emergencies Director, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. “With support from the Pandemic Fund, WHO is proud to work with countries across the Region, including Bangladesh, to strengthen the emergency health workforce and institutional capacities needed to detect threats early, respond effectively and advance core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).”
In Bangladesh, these investments complement wider efforts to enhance health security, including through the country’s second Joint External Evaluation in 2024, the development of a National Action Plan for Health Security 2026–2030, and the establishment of a National IHR Authority in July 2026.