Bandarban, Bangladesh- SERAC-Bangladesh successfully organized a capacity-building workshop under the Youth Catalyst Initiative of UNFPA Bangladesh, with support from Sida. The event brought together 20 frontline healthcare providers—including SACMOs, Midwives, FWVs, and FPIs from various health facilities across Bandarban to strengthen their ability to sustain sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and family planning (FP) services amid the growing impacts of climate change.
-Integrating Climate Resilience into SRHR
The workshop aimed to integrate climate resilience into SRHR and FP service delivery, focusing on equipping health providers with the skills to ensure the quality and continuity of care during climate-induced disruptions such as floods, landslides, or extreme weather events that often affect the hilly regions of Bandarban.
Through a series of interactive group activities, participants explored the interlinkages between climate challenges and SRHR outcomes. They identified critical service delivery gaps, discussed local challenges, and proposed facility-level, actionable solutions using structured worksheets designed to promote reflective and collaborative learning.
-Engaging Reflections and Insights
The group presentations were followed by insightful reflections from:
They emphasized the importance of adaptive and resilient health systems that can protect community well-being in the face of climate threats. The speakers highlighted that building resilience requires not only infrastructure and resources but also empowered and informed frontline health workers who can adapt and respond to evolving local realities.
-Collaborative Facilitation and Participation
The session was facilitated by Mizanur Rahman Akanda, Advocacy Specialist, SERAC-Bangladesh, and Lutfa Pathan, Project Manager, SERAC-Bangladesh. The event was also attended by Dr. Soomthong Morung, SRHR Facilitator, Jhepiego, and Md. Emran Hossain, Deputy Director (Finance and Admin), SERAC-Bangladesh.
Their participation underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in fostering sustainable, resilient health systems that can withstand climate pressures while ensuring uninterrupted access to SRHR and family planning services.
-Moving Forward
This workshop represents a vital step toward localizing climate adaptation strategies within the health sector, especially in geographically and environmentally vulnerable areas like Bandarban. By empowering healthcare providers to integrate resilience thinking into their daily work, SERAC-Bangladesh and its partners are helping ensure that communities especially women and young people continue to receive essential health services, no matter the challenges ahead.