For many years, HealthBridge’s Regional Director based in Bangladesh, Debra Efroymson, has been supporting local efforts to achieve a Health Promotion Foundation. The Foundation would be funded by a surcharge on unhealthy products and its focus would be on making it easier for people to stay healthy. As part of that effort, HealthBridge’s Bangladeshi partner organization, Work for a Better Bangladesh, organized a virtual conference on 8-9 February 2021. Since that conference, WBB Trust staff met weekly to discuss plans and organize events such as a series of online talk shows on the topic.

On the 5^th of March 2022, WBB Trust organized a strategic meeting about Health Promotion Foundations with twenty NGO leaders from throughout the country. At the meeting the participants reviewed the importance of establishing such a foundation and brainstormed on steps to achieve widespread support for it. Participants committed to carrying out a number of activities, singly and jointly, to publicize the possibility and benefits of establishing such a foundation.

It was rewarding to witness the excitement and passion on the part of the NGO officials for the potential establishment of a Health Promotion Foundation. Such a Foundation would help not only in granting funds but in research, communication, collaboration and advocacy. The exciting successes of such Foundations, most notably VicHealth in Australia and ThaiHealth in Thailand, provide proof that such an establishment can be created and funded, thereby ensuring that efforts in the health sector extend beyond treatment to include prevention and effectively to promote mental as well as physical health.

The establishment of such a Foundation in Bangladesh, if it does come about, is likely still years away. But there is hope that with a growing movement and understanding of its significance, the country is progressing towards the goal of joining the dozens of other nations that have already established and continue to benefit from their own Health Promotion Foundation.