Legal Specialist - Health Sector Reform and Governance

To provide expert legal analysis and guidance for the review, drafting, and validation of health sector laws, regulations, and policies, ensuring alignment with the Constitution of Bangladesh, human rights principles, and the objectives of ongoing health system reform initiatives. The six Acts to be developed are: 1. Patient Protection Act 2. Provider Protection Act 3. Primary Health Care (PHC) Act 4. Essential Medicines Access and Pricing Act 5. Facility Accreditation Act 6. Gift Ban Act

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), with technical support from WHO, is undertaking comprehensive health sector reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, and service delivery to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensure the right to health for all citizens. 

A robust legal and regulatory framework is essential to support these reforms, ensure coherence with national laws, the Constitution, and international human rights obligations, and provide clarity for health professionals, institutions, and service users. To this end, a qualified Legal Expert engagement is required to provide technical guidance, review draft laws and policies, and ensure their consistency with national legal standards and human rights principles, thereby supporting the development of a sound legal foundation for health reform implementation.

• To ensure drafting  and finalize six key Acts in line with Bangladesh’s constitutional, legal, and 

• Review and assess existing laws, regulations, and rules related to the health sector.

• Provide legal inputs to ensure that draft policies and legislation uphold equity, justice, and human rights for both healthcare providers and service users.

• Ensure coherence and consistency of health laws with other national legal instruments and international standards.

• Contribute to establishing a comprehensive legal framework that facilitates effective governance and implementation of reform initiatives in the health sector.

The Legal Expert will:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing health-related laws, acts, ordinances, and regulations to identify gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies.

• Analyze and validate new or revised draft laws developed under the health reform initiative for their legal soundness, alignment with the Constitution, and adherence to human rights principles.

• Ensure draft documents are consistent with the mandates and responsibilities of professional entities, health regulatory bodies, and beneficiary protection mechanisms.

• Support the drafting and validation process of new legal instruments and amendments to existing ones to create a cohesive, transparent, and enforceable legal framework.

• Facilitate consultations and stakeholder dialogues with relevant ministries, regulatory bodies, and professional councils to ensure ownership and consensus.

• Advise on the integration of gender, equity, and human rights perspectives in all health-related laws .

• Develop a summary report and policy brief outlining key findings, legal recommendations, and a roadmap for reforming the legal and regulatory architecture of the health sector.

• Support the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) or guidelines to operationalize legal provisions where necessary

Expected Deliverables: 

Sl. No.

Activities

Deliverables

Timeline

  

  1

Desk Review and Mapping of Existing Legal and Regulatory Instruments – Conduct comprehensive mapping of current health sector laws, regulations, and policies to identify overlaps, inconsistencies, and gaps in legal coherence and institutional mandates.

Mapping and Analytical Report on Existing Health Sector Laws and Regulations – 

Detailed analysis of the current legal landscape, identifying reform needs and alignment gaps with national health policies and international standards.

Day 1–15

 2

Legal Review and Validation of Draft Health Laws – Undertake clause-by-clause legal review of existing and draft health laws; conduct validation sessions with MoHFW, relevant directorates, and legal experts.

Legal Review Notes and Validation Reports on Draft Health Laws – Consolidated technical notes summarizing legal observations, validation feedback, and revision recommendations.

Day 16–30

 3

Preparation of Legal Recommendations and Draft Amendments – Develop detailed legal recommendations and propose amendments aimed at enhancing policy coherence, regulatory oversight, and rights-based health governance.

Recommendations and Proposed Amendments for Strengthening Legal Coherence and Rights-Based Approaches – 

Draft legal text proposals and explanatory rationale for institutional and policy reform.

Day 31–45

    

 4

Consolidation and Finalization of Legal Reform Framework – Integrate all findings, validation inputs, and recommendations into a comprehensive reform package outlining strategic and operational steps for implementation.

Final Consolidated Report with Legal Analysis and Roadmap for Reform Implementation - 

Comprehensive synthesis document including analytical findings, reform priorities, implementation roadmap, and resource implications.

Day 46–60