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While non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for most deaths in our country, budget allocated to fight NCDs remains grossly inadequate. Necessary budget allocation is crucial for effective control of the growing prevalence of NCDs. These recommendations were highlighted at a virtual workshop for journalists titled “Budget Allocation to Fight NCDs: A Bangladesh Perspective” on March 27, 2024. The workshop was organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), a research and advocacy organization, with the support of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Nineteen journalists from print, electronic and online media houses in Sylhet metropolis participated in the workshop.
The seminar informed that 70% of deaths in Bangladesh are caused by non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, kidney disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hypertension, etc., but the budget allocation for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases is alarmingly low, accounting for only 4.2% of the total health budget.
The workshop participants were also informed that despite the World Health Organization’s recommendation that countries allocate at least 15% of their total budget to the health sector, Bangladesh has allocated only 5% of its total budget to healthcare in the fiscal year 2023-24. The government’s budget support for health is one of the lowest in the WHO Southeast Asia region.
The government has several policy obligations in addressing NCDs, including the target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030, which requires increased budget allocations in this area. In particular, to effectively address worrisome NCDs such as hypertension, it is imperative to implement the decision to include anti-hypertensive drugs in the drug list of community clinics and ensure that necessary funds are allocated in the upcoming budget to prevent heart attacks and strokes and save lives. Studies have shown that investing Tk1 in hypertension screening and drugs can generate overall benefits worth Tk18.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Country Director, GHAI, Bangladesh, Dr. Shamim Jubayer, Program Manager, Hypertension Control, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Institute, and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA, attended the seminar as discussants. Sadia Galiba Prova, Coordinator, PROGGA, delivered the keynote address.
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