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Sakhawat outlines four priorities to boost ties with China, others
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain today outlined four priorities for further strengthening the cooperation in the health sector with China and other Asian countries.
The priorities are pharmaceuticals and health technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health, healthy ageing and vaccines and health security.
The health minister highlighted the priorities while addressing the BFA Global Health Forum-2026 Haikou Conference, held in Haikou in China.
Sakhawat said Bangladesh has a strong pharmaceutical industry with medicines from the country being exported to nearly 160 countries.
He said Bangladesh is interested in working jointly with China to facilitate access for Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals to the Chinese market, as well as in the areas including active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production, technology transfer, research and the development of smart health infrastructure.
On AI and digital health, the minister said modern technologies have significant potential in disease diagnosis, treatment and medical education, as well as in oncology, precision medicine, robotic surgery, chronic disease management and remote patient monitoring.
He also called on technology companies to establish partnerships in Bangladesh in these areas.
Regarding healthy ageing, the minister said the elderly population is growing rapidly across the Asia. Regional cooperation is therefore needed to develop rehabilitation services, assistive technologies, geriatric care and age-friendly healthcare systems, he said.
Similarly, he stressed the need for joint initiatives among the countries to advance vaccine research and production, facilitate technology transfer and ensure stable supply chains.
"The future of healthcare in Asia will depend on how well we cooperate, innovate and share our responsibilities," the minister said. He called for stronger regional cooperation to advance healthcare across the Asia.
Senior officials from China, Laos, Egypt and the World Health Organization attended the conference including Leung Chun-Ying, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the fourth chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reports BSS.