Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy to enhance cooperation with Bangladesh: US hopes

The recently launched US Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy will help boost cooperation with Bangladesh, building on existing strong cooperation, said a US government official.

“The new State Department Bureau, the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, will only increase our ties and elevate our cooperation," he told UNB while responding to a question.

Bangladesh and the United States already "cooperate strongly" in many areas to promote global health, said the official wishing to remain unnamed.

This includes efforts such as improving hygiene and sanitation and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

The US State Department officially launched the new Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy on August 1.

The Bureau's overarching mission is to fortify the global health security architecture to effectively prevent, detect, control, and respond to infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

By leveraging and coordinating US foreign assistance, the Bureau aims to foster robust international cooperation, enhancing protection for the United States and the global community against health threats through strengthened systems and policies, according to the US Department of State.

To ensure US leadership is sustained moving forward, the Bureau will provide a unified voice of leadership on global health security and diplomacy, combining strengths, functions, personnel, and resources from various offices.

John N. Nkengasong will lead the Bureau, serving as Ambassador-at-Large, US Global AIDS Coordinator, and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, and reporting directly to the US Secretary of State.

This new Bureau will seamlessly integrate global health security as a core component of US national security and foreign policy, underscoring the Department of State's commitment to advancing human health worldwide, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In October 2021, Blinken outlined steps to build a State Department fit for the tasks of the future with his Modernization Agenda.

The agenda included a commitment to build the Department’s capacity and expertise in areas that will be critical to US national security in the years ahead, particularly climate, global health, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, economics, and multilateral diplomacy.

"We have advanced this agenda across a few fronts, including launching a new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy in April 2022 and the Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology in January 2023," said the US government official.

President Biden has been a champion of efforts to strengthen global health security capacity and committed to prioritising global health security and diplomacy at the Department of State, said the official.