Reforming Bangladesh health systems for the future
Bangladesh's health sector faces urgent challenges as it approaches the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in achieving Universal Health Coverage. The Health Sector Reform Commission Report 2025 proposes significant constitutional amendments and systemic...
Enhancing efficiency of healthcare financing
Achieving UHC requires a variety of financing strategies, including government revenue to support those unable to afford care. It involves coordinating these funding mechanisms to create a sustainable health system that serves the needs of all citizens, particularly...
Reflections on Public-Private-Partnerships for Primary Care in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) for primary care services have grown significantly in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, largely driven by local initiatives rather than central government planning. These partnerships have evolved from...
Health insurance in Bangladesh: Challenges, prospects and action plan
In 2022, healthcare spending in Bangladesh pushed 6.3 million people below the poverty line, with 61% of hospitalized patients experiencing financial trauma. To cope with medical expenses, many individuals resort to selling assets or taking high-interest loans. Health...
Rising out-of-pocket health expenditure in Bangladesh
The Health Economics Unit of the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of Bangladesh reports that out-of-pocket health expenditure in the country has been on the rise, reaching around 69 per cent in 2020. This has...
PMAC side meeting – financing of primary health care in Southeast Asia Region
On 22 January 2024, PMAC side meeting – financing of primary health care in Southeast Asia Region was held in Bangkok, Thailand. This event was co-organized by WHO South-East Asia Region, Chulalongkorn University, and Mahidol University. In this side meeting, P4H...
Building capacity to measure financial protection for UHC in the South-East Asia Region
WHO and World Bank organised South-East Asia UHC training on measuring financial protection highlighted varied forgone healthcare among older populations, and urged consistent measurement and data access.In a recent training on measuring financial protection for...
How the global Pandemic Fund can live up to its great potential | Opinion
Projects to be financed by the first round of funding will prioritize strengthening comprehensive disease surveillance and early warning, laboratory systems, and human resources/public health workforce capacity.Type or paste here your text
Forgone healthcare and financial burden due to out-of-pocket payments in Bangladesh
The health financing system in Bangladesh is underfunded, forcing the households to incur OOPE to avail health care services. As a result, around 16% households incurred financial catastrophe in 2011, 5% non-poor households became poor, and 7% of Bangladeshi...
Bangladesh’s health budget will be increased 13% for fiscal year 2022-23
To ensure healthcare access during the pandemic and strengthen the vaccination system, Tk 36,863 crore (USD 3,966 million) will be funded to the health sector for fiscal year 2022-23. The allocation of the health budget will be increased approximately 13 percent from...
New document on out-of-pocket payment for healthcare among urban citizens in Bangladesh is now available
Out-of-pocket (OOP) payment is the major source of finance for healthcare in Bangladesh, and the share of OOP expenditure has increased significantly. This study aimed to capture the self-reported illnesses among urban citizens and to identify whether and to what...
Bangladesh has purchased 220,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine
The Bangladesh government has purchased 220,000,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine and for vaccine administration. So far Bangladesh administered around 220,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine within the shortest time in the world. Many more of the population will receive...
New document on out-of-pocket payments in Bangladesh is now available
This study aimed to examine the burden of out-of-pocket payment and forgone healthcare in Bangladesh, and further explores the inequalities in catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) and forgone healthcare at the national and sub-national levels. Data came from the...
Booster dose trials started in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has started trials for the Covid-19 booster shots. The Pfizer vaccine booster shots would be administered to the frontliners and the elderly on priority. Bangladesh is planning a national roll-out of the booster dose soon. To know more, read a full...
Budget boosted for jab campaign in Bangadesh
Bangladesh will spend approximately Tk 17,000 crore in this fiscal year to procure Covid-19 vaccines, aiming to secure around 24 crore doses from multiple sources. The budget includes transportation and other costs related to vaccine administration. According to...