Canada Funds $6M Extension to Transform Nursing Landscape in Bangladesh
Ottawa, March 17, 2025 – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, joined by Member of Parliament Parm Bains, announced $272.1 million in funding for development projects in Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region last week. Speaking in Vancouver, Minister Hussen emphasized Canada’s commitment to sustainability, collaboration, and empowering communities through targeted development initiatives. Canada and Bangladesh are strong partners committed to shared priorities, including gender equality, education, and climate action.
This funding will support gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, and inclusive education and skills training. These initiatives aim to empower women and girls, strengthen health systems, and reinforce the strategic partnership between Canada and Bangladesh.
One of the key initiatives receiving support is Cowater International’s project, Empowering Women through Professionalization of the Nursing Sector in Bangladesh (ProNurse). Building on four years of impactful interventions, the CAD $6.3 million extension until March 2029 will deepen and expand our efforts to address both enduring and emerging challenges within the nursing sector. The newly proposed interventions of ProNurse include targeted private sector engagement and advancing nurse-centred patient care to improve health outcomes. ProNurse will continue to focus on:
- Improving the quality of gender-responsive education for female nurses in both public and private sectors.
- Strengthening the professional status and performance of female nurses.
- Creating an enabling environment to increase female nurses’ participation in the health sector.
The project extension is carefully planned to address emerging challenges and take advantage of growth opportunities within the nursing sector. It aims to significantly improve the professional status of nurses, particularly female nurses, both in private and public sectors leading to better healthcare outcomes throughout Bangladesh.
“During my most recent visit to Bangladesh, I had the privilege of witnessing Canada’s support in action, through Canadian funded projects that provide impactful humanitarian assistance and essential healthcare services for new mothers. Canada continues to fiercely strengthen our long-lasting friendship with Bangladesh and the wider Indo-Pacific region with our long-standing people-to-people ties. By supporting vulnerable communities’ healthcare services, empowering women and addressing climate change, we are creating a brighter tomorrow for the global community.,” said Minister Hussen.
For more details on Canada’s development initiatives in Bangladesh, visit the official announcement webpage or the associated backgrounder.
About Cowater International
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017.
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