World Health Day today: ‘Poor budget contribute to rising NCD deaths’
Staff Reporter :
Public health experts warned of a disturbing rise in deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh. They emphasized that the current budget allocated to fight NCDs is insufficient.
During a webinar titled “Budgetary Allocation to Combat NCDs: Bangladesh Perspective” held on World Health Day, experts urged for a significant increase in funding for this area.
The webinar, organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), coincided with the global theme “My Health, My Right.”
“Non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, kidney disease, and respiratory diseases account for 70 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh,” the experts stressed.
“Several factors contribute to the surge in NCDs, including unhealthy diets, excessive salt intake, tobacco use, physical inactivity, air pollution, and more.
However, the budget dedicated to combating NCDs is alarmingly low, at only 4.2 percent of the total health budget,” they explained.
The webinar revealed that Bangladesh allocates only 5% of its total budget to healthcare, falling short of the World Health Organization’s recommendation of at least 15% for health spending.
This makes Bangladesh’s healthcare budget one of the lowest in the WHO South-East Asia region.
Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation, emphasized, “Controlling hypertension alone can significantly reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
It’s critical to allocate sufficient funds in the upcoming budget to implement the decision of including anti-hypertensive medications in community clinic drug lists, alongside public education efforts to reduce salt consumption.”
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI, added a compelling argument saying, “Research shows a significant return on investment for tackling NCDs.
Every Taka invested in hypertension screening and medication yields a benefit worth Tk 18. Therefore, sustainable funding for this sector must be ensured in addition to increasing the budget allocation to safeguard public health.”
Dr. Laila Akhter, Director of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), participated as a discussant, while PROGGA’s Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prova delivered the keynote presentation. ABM Zubair, PROGGA’s Executive Director, chaired the webinar. People from various professions across Bangladesh participated in the event.
