Ensuring women’s health and empowerment is critical to achieving sustainable development, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources.

She made the remarks while addressing an event titled “Joining Hands for Improving Women’s Healthcare in Bangladesh” at the chief guest at The Westin in Dhaka on Thursday evening.

“Caring for women is not just a social obligation, it is a foundation for national progress. True empowerment is impossible without ensuring women’s access to proper healthcare,” Rizwana said.

She highlighted that women in Bangladesh’s coastal regions face severe challenges due to salinity, scarcity of safe drinking water, and reproductive health complications. She called for innovative solutions such as mobile clinics and floating hospitals to deliver essential health services to remote and climate-vulnerable communities.

Acknowledging the dedication of health professionals working in Rohingya camps and other challenging areas, she added, “Those providing care in such difficult circumstances are truly working on the frontline of humanity.”