Health Policy, Programmes and System in Bangladesh

Abstract

Despite being a resource poor country, Bangladesh has achieved impressive health gains which make it an example for other developing countries. Over the last decades key health indicators like life expectancy and coverage of immunisation have improved significantly while infant mortality, maternal mortality and fertility rates have dropped considerably. But most of these achievements are mainly quantitative while qualitative improvement is negligible. Poor access to services, low quality of care, high rate of maternal mortality and poor status of child health still remain as challenges of the health sector. This article reviews the health programmes undertaken since independence and the system itself to see which aspects of the policy have contributed to these achievements and challenges. The findings show that the healthcare plans and policy have actually helped to expand services causing quantitative advances while managerial weaknesses and governance problems are the main factors inhibiting qualitative improvement. Finally, the article puts forward some suggestions to address these challenges.

Political Priority and Policy Process: A Recent Example from Bangladesh

“…These commitments of AL have been reflected in the First Five Year Plan (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978). Accordingly, the construction of health centres at the Union (Note 3) level and health complexes (31-bed hospitals) at the thana (sub-district) level began (Osman, 2004;Osman, 2008). At first, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Note 4) (hereinafter, BNP) Government were more explicit about urban hospital-based care.…”

Review of Bangladesh Healthcare System.

“…Various reforms had been carried out including community clinics (27) and voucher scheme for maternal care (28), but this had very little impact on improvement in accessibility to health services. Though maternal, infant and under five mortality rates have fallen to marked figures as per the MDGs target for 2015 through increased coverage with special interventions (27), but maternal death rate and prevalence of under-weight births and deaths are yet far away from the targets (10). Other disease such as HIV, malaria and TB are also within reachable target limit but arrangement and scope of administration for developing burden of NCDs is just barely starting.…”

Comparison and Analysis of Health Care Delivery Systems: Pakistan versus Bangladesh

“…Recently, Bangladesh has set National Five Year Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) in order to improve the health of the population, reforming the institutions, and improving performance. However, poor access to services, low quality of care, and high rate of mortality and poor status of child health still remain as challenges of the health sector of Bangladesh [24].…”