By Maksuda Lisa (Dhaka Bureau)
Dr. Zubaida Rahman, First Lady of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, has made a strong call to move beyond traditional development assistance in women’s health by unlocking new and innovative financing, utilizing sustainable domestic resources, and building strong international partnerships. She emphasized that investing in women’s health is not merely a healthcare expenditure; it is a direct investment in human capital, economic prosperity, and the future of the nation.
Dr. Rahman made these remarks as a key speaker on the opening day of the three-day World Health Summit 2026, held in Berlin, Germany, under the theme ‘From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health.’ The summit has brought together political leaders, scientists, civil society representatives, and financial policymakers from around the globe.
Safe Motherhood and Empowerment: Core Preconditions for National Development
Speaking at the high-level session titled ‘The Moment is Now: Unlocking New Capital for Women’s Health Beyond Aid,’ held on October 11 and chaired by Dr. Nigina Muntean, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Zubaida Rahman noted that women constitute nearly 51 percent of the population in Bangladesh. Consequently, ensuring their healthcare, nutrition, and safe motherhood is directly linked to the country’s overall development.
Highlighting social safety net initiatives such as Family Cards and Farmer Cards, alongside expanding free education for women up to the undergraduate level, she stressed that women’s health, education, and economic security must be addressed through an integrated framework.
Adolescent Nutrition, Reducing Preventable Deaths, and Cancer Prevention
Dr. Rahman outlined several key priorities during her address:
Adolescent and Maternal Nutrition: Addressing anemia and malnutrition among adolescent girls, while ensuring proper nutrition during pregnancy and safe delivery services.
Recruitment of Healthcare Workers and Midwives:
Plans to recruit nearly 100,000 community and wellbeing workers- around 80 percent of whom will be women- along with 25,000 professional midwives to deliver healthcare services at the grassroots level.
First Lady of Bangladesh Dr. Zubaida Rahman and Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bokul at a session of the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Collected
Ensuring Emergency Care at Local Levels:
Strengthening local health infrastructure and referral systems so that no expectant mother is forced to travel long distances for emergency obstetric or neonatal care.
Cancer Prevention and Long-term Initiatives:
Ensuring sustainable funding under the ‘Women’s Health Initiative’ for cancer awareness, early detection, and timely treatment.
Innovative Financing Beyond Traditional Aid
Addressing the financial landscape of women’s health, Dr. Zubaida Rahman asserted that long-term progress cannot rely solely on conventional development aid. Instead, it requires innovative financial mechanisms, concessional investments, grant-based technical assistance, and effective mobilization of domestic resources.
Moving away from fragmented, short-term projects toward integrated planning and measurable outcomes, she called upon development finance institutions, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector to unite in action.
Dr. Rahman also referenced past healthcare initiatives from the tenures of late President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, emphasizing the importance of building upon historical foundations to create a resilient, modern health architecture tailored to current needs.
The World Health Summit 2026 will conclude on October 13 following multiple parallel sessions and a closing panel titled ‘Transforming the Future: Ending Preventable Maternal and Child Deaths.’
Maksuda Lisa: Maksuda Lisa is a senior journalist and one of Bangladesh’s early-generation women sports journalists, with 18 years of experience working across leading national newspapers, including Dainik Banglabazar and Manab Zamin, as well as television, print media, and online news portals. She is currently a Staff Correspondent at Pressenza International Press Agency (Dhaka Bureau).
She is the first woman elected Sports Secretary of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) and served two consecutive terms. Alongside journalism, she has been actively involved in cricket-particularly women’s cricket- through team management, coaching, and organizational roles. She served as a Liaison Officer at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2014, Manager of the Pink Team in the BCB Women’s Cricket Cup, and Manager of the Dhaka Abahani women’s team.
A former first-class cricketer with a 15-year competitive career, she represented Dhaka and Sylhet Divisions at the competitive level. She is currently a National Panel Umpire with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Organising Secretary of the Bangladesh Women Cricketers Association (BWCA). She holds a master’s degree in Political Science.