The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing a range of reform measures to strengthen the resilience, efficiency, and equity of the health system in line with the recommendations of the Health Reform Commission (2025). These reforms aim to align Bangladesh’s health system with the principles of equity, participation, and accountability, ensuring that health is realized as both a constitutional right and a public good. In this regard, the Ministry has prepared a comprehensive proposal titled “Health Sector Transformation in Bangladesh”, outlining the strategic priorities, implementation modalities, and expected outcomes of the reform agenda. The proposal emphasizes eight key strategic areas, including governance and institutional reform, primary healthcare restructuring, workforce planning, financial sustainability, digital transformation, medicine regulation, documentation of transition strategies, and stakeholder communication. The Ministry seeks the technical and strategic partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the implementation of these reform initiatives.
A well-structured and transparent career pathway is critical for improving motivation, retention, and performance of the health workforce. In Bangladesh, the health workforce comprises various cadres, including doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, technologists, and public health professionals who play vital roles in service delivery. However, limited opportunities for career advancement, unclear promotion criteria, and a lack of standardized progression frameworks have been identified as major factors contributing to job dissatisfaction and attrition, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
To address these challenges, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), intends to develop career pathways for key health worker cadres. These pathways will outline structured progression routes, competency requirements, promotion criteria, and professional development options aligned with national HRH policies and global best practices.
Support the drafting and finalization of six priority health sector Acts aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, transparency, and rights-based protection within Bangladesh’s health system as part of the ongoing health sector reform initiative. The consultant will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Lead Legal Expert (Health Law and Policy) and in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) legal and policy teams to ensure the Acts are contextually relevant, technically sound, and implementable within the national legal framework.
The six Acts to be developed are:
1. Patient Protection Act
2. Provider Protection Act
3. Primary Health Care (PHC) Act
4. Essential Medicines Access and Pricing Act
5. Facility Accreditation Act
6. Gift Ban Act
Objectives of the Assignment
Under the guidance of the Lead Legal Expert (Health Law and Policy), the consultant will:
Review existing laws, regulations, and policies relevant to each Act.
Prepare draft versions of the six Acts using standard legislative structure and terminology.
Conduct iterative revisions based on feedback from MoHFW, WHO, and other stakeholders.
Work closely with the Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Special Assistant and his team from the Health Services Division for policy and administrative alignment.
Support the organization of stakeholder consultations to review draft Acts.
Finalize the vetted versions of all six Acts with explanatory notes.
Assist MoHFW in submitting the Acts for inter-ministerial and legal review processes.
Expected Deliverables:
S.No.
Activities
Deliverables
Timeline
1
Review and Situation Analysis of Existing Health-Related Acts and Legal Frameworks – Conduct a desk review of existing legislation, identify overlaps, inconsistencies, and reform needs aligned with the national health reform agenda.
Draft Versions of Six Acts –
Initial drafts of six revised health-related Acts were prepared based on comparative analysis, stakeholder priorities, and global best practices.
Day 1–20
2
Stakeholder Consultation and Technical Review – Organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations, technical working sessions, and legal review meetings to refine the draft Acts.
Consultation and Revision Report –
Consolidated summary of stakeholder feedback, proposed amendments, and revision justifications.
Day 21–35
3
Finalization of Legislative Drafts – Integrate validated inputs and legal vetting outcomes to prepare final legislative versions of all six Acts.
Final Legislative Drafts of Six Acts with Explanatory Notes –
Legally vetted, formatted versions with explanatory notes outlining objectives, key provisions, and compliance alignment.
Day 36–50
4
Compilation, Formatting, and Submission – Prepare and compile all Acts in an accessible and official digital format for submission to MoHFW and relevant authorities.
Compilation of Acts in Digital Form for Official Submission –
Complete package of all Acts (final drafts, explanatory notes, annexes) ready for submission and archiving.
Day 51–60
