DHAKA, June 21, 2026 (BSS)- A five-day health sector business study tour hosted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) concluded here on June 18, a JICA release said today. 

The study tour was arranged with the support of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) aimed at exploring collaboration between Japanese companies and local stakeholders in healthcare sector.

Representatives from eight Japanese companies specialized in healthcare technologies and services took part in the tour to gain insights into Bangladesh's health sector, identify business opportunities, and explore potential partnerships.

According to JICA, they arranged the tour as Bangladesh continues to attract strong interest from foreign investors including Japanese businesses.

Bangladesh faces a range of healthcare challenges, including a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), limited healthcare facilities and human resources, growing mental health concerns, and lack of strong emergency response capacity during disasters.

To better understand the challenges, the Japanese delegation engaged with key stakeholders from both public and private sectors during the tour.

The participants visited the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh Medical University, Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital, Continental Hospital, Grameen Health Tech Ltd., GME Group and Moner Bondhu, a private organization dedicated to providing mental health support. 

The delegation also toured Ship International Hospital, a Japan-Bangladesh joint venture healthcare facility and laboratory of health tech company Miup Inc in Dhaka.

The participating companies represented diverse sectors including medical equipment, disease testing kits, cleaning agent technology, nutritional foods, social media-based consultation systems, satellite remote sensing and geospatial intelligence platforms, and artificial intelligence development services.

The delegation also travelled to Narsingdi District Sadar Hospital, Raipura Upazila Health Complex and Bashgari Community Clinic in Narsingdi district to have firsthand knowledge of healthcare delivery at the district and community levels.

The tour also encouraged the companies to assess how their technologies and expertise could contribute to improving healthcare services and enhancing the quality of life of Bangladeshi people.

JICA reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Bangladesh-Japan cooperation in the healthcare sector, noting that the study tour served as an important platform for knowledge exchange, partnership building and the exploration of innovative solutions for a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive healthcare system in Bangladesh.