A high-level meeting of the Coordination Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases was held at the Secretariat today. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, June 22, 2026 (BSS) – The government has stepped up its whole-of-government approach to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory illnesses and mental health disorders, through coordinated efforts involving 35 ministries and divisions.

The first high-level meeting of the Coordination Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases was held at the Secretariat today with Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani in the chair.

Senior secretaries and secretaries of the 35 ministries and divisions that signed a joint declaration on NCD prevention attended the meeting, which was jointly organized by the Health Services Division and the Cabinet Division with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) Bangladesh.

Speaking at the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary described NCD prevention and control as one of the government's top priorities and stressed the need for innovative measures and time-bound action plans to address the growing burden of such diseases.

He emphasized preventive healthcare, urging people to adopt regular physical activity and healthy lifestyles. “If we can convince people that prevention is more important than medicine or treatment, the burden of non-communicable diseases will decline,” he said.

According to the meeting, non-communicable diseases currently account for more than 71 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh, while nearly 51 percent of those deaths occur prematurely, posing a major challenge to the country's economic productivity and sustainable development.

The meeting reviewed progress made since the signing of a landmark joint declaration by 35 ministries and divisions on August 20, 2025. To ensure implementation of the whole-of-government approach, the coordination committee was formally constituted through a gazette notification on January 19 this year under the leadership of the Cabinet Secretary.

Several key decisions were taken at the meeting to accelerate implementation of the joint declaration.

All ministries and divisions were asked to nominate a senior official as a focal point within one month to coordinate implementation efforts and submit progress reports. The nominated officials will receive orientation on WHO-recommended interventions and implementation guidelines related to the joint declaration.

The ministries and divisions were also instructed to prepare sector-specific, time-bound action plans within the next one to three months, incorporating monitoring frameworks and measurable indicators.

The meeting placed special emphasis on implementing the “Health in All Policies” approach and called upon all ministries to integrate NCD prevention into their development planning and human resource development initiatives.

Participants also agreed on measures to strengthen nationwide public awareness campaigns, mobilize resources and technical assistance, ensure regular progress monitoring and address implementation challenges at the field level.

WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr. Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed reaffirmed the organization's commitment to providing all necessary technical support for Bangladesh's efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.

Senior secretaries, secretaries and the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services also shared their observations, experiences and recommendations for effectively implementing the joint declaration and strengthening the national response to NCDs.