The Human Resources for Health (HRH) Project in Bangladesh, an initiative to strengthen Nursing Education and Services in Bangladesh, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is a seven year project ( 2012-2019), awarded to a Canadian Executing Agency, CowaterSogema International Inc., as the lead firm, in a consortium with McMaster University School of Nursing, Plan International Canada Inc. and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) to implement the project in Bangladesh under leadership of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW). The project provides technical assistance, equipment, teaching and learning aids to the MOHFW to improve the quality of education for diploma nurse midwives and community skilled birth attendants. It also provides support to the MOHFW to rationalise the rules for recruiting, posting, promoting and training nurse midwives. The project is working directly with the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC) and the Human Resource Section of the MOHFW in Bangladesh.

The ultimate outcome of the Human Resources for Health Project in Bangladesh is to improve maternal and neonatal health status of poor women, girls and boys in Bangladesh.

The HRH project will address the quality of nursing education and the shortage of skilled birth attendants by supporting government strategies to: 1) Produce skilled and competent nurse-midwives at diploma level, 2) Improve quality assurance in nursing education and efficient management of nursing services and 3) Increase the number of trained Community Skilled Birth Attendants (CSBAs).