Tk 36.36b project to combat TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria underway

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is set to spend Tk 36.36 billion to bolster the fight against tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria over the next three fiscal years, with nearly one-third of the funding expected to come as foreign grants.
Targeting zero malaria deaths and bringing 85 per cent of the estimated HIV-positive population under treatment, the government will provide Tk 24.95 billion while the remaining Tk 11.41 billion is expected to come from the Global Fund, officials at the Planning Division said.
The Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) recently held a meeting to review the project titled "Integrated Health System Response to Fight TB, HIV/AIDS and Malaria in Bangladesh" proposed by the health ministry.
The meeting, chaired by Nasreen Jahan, Member, Socio-Economic Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, recommended the project for approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), subject to the incorporation of some recommendations.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), under the Health Services Division, will implement the project through June 2029 if it gets ECNEC approval.
The project aims to curb deaths from TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria and related opportunistic infections by strengthening disease surveillance, expanding access to diagnosis and treatment, improving laboratory capacity and enhancing public awareness.
Its key targets include reducing malaria deaths to zero by 2028, bringing malaria incidence below one case per 1,000 population by 2028, and ensuring that 85 per cent of estimated HIV-positive people receive treatment by the end of the project period.
Health officials told the PEC meeting that the project was formulated following the completion of the Fourth Health Sector Programme in 2024, as the government decided to implement major communicable disease interventions through standalone development projects.
Officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) said the Global Fund earlier made a commitment to provide Bangladesh with grants for the project.
However, the committee asked the Health Services Division to include the Global Fund's financing assurance documents in the revised Development Project Proposal (DPP) and align the project's objectives with the government's policy priorities using measurable targets.
The committee also suggested expanding nutrition support to malaria and HIV programmes alongside TB services, appoint a full-time project director and prepare an inventory of existing medical equipment.
The PEC also suggested a realistic exit plan to sustain programme activities after donor funding ends.
It further recommended incorporating lessons from previous programmes, strengthening procurement and training plans and publishing key project information for public consultation before resubmission.

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