Bangladesh has been selected as one of the eight ‘Global Health Initiative Plus’ countries by the United States government. The Global Health Initiative with funds worth 63 billion US dollars is aimed at helping partner countries strengthening their health programmes with a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children. <br/><br/>The programme will be implemented over six years in eight countries which include Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, and Rwanda in addition to Bangladesh. <br/><br/>According to a joint press release issue by the US State Department , U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services these countries will receive additional technical and management resources to implement GHI’s approach in various health programs related to HIV/AIDS prevention, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning and reproductive health.<br/><br/>As a beneficiary of the GHI initiative of the United States government, Bangladesh will receive additional technical, management, and financial resources to improve the health sector. The focus of the programme in Bangladesh is to strengthen programmes related to maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention programmes , and measures to combat diseases like polio, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases in addition to sanitation, and hygiene. <br/><br/>The programme will also help in streamlining and improving of monitoring, evaluation and surveillance related to health systems at the Upazila level. American orgainsations like the United States Agency for International Development, Center for Disease Control and Department of Defense will work with the Government of Bangladesh and NGOs to address critical health problems and provide support to achieve the national Millennium Development Goals. The United States Government proposes to invest 77 million US Dollars for the health sector in Bangladesh in 2011.