Continued financial support is crucial to manage hypertension in Bangladesh: Opinions from specialists.
In a bid to combat the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh, a workshop titled "Hypertension Control in Bangladesh: Progress and Way Forward" was held at FARS Hotel and Resorts in the capital. The event, organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) in collaboration with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), was attended by health experts and senior journalists.
The workshop highlighted the critical need for increased and sustained funding to effectively tackle NCDs, particularly hypertension, in Bangladesh. Globally, financing for NCDs remains stagnant and insufficient, with only about 1-2% of development assistance for health allocated to NCDs. This underfunding is mirrored in many low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, where national government investment in NCDs is severely lacking.
The current status of funding for NCDs in Bangladesh reflects this trend. The national health budget for fiscal year 2025-26 was set at Tk 419 billion, which is about 5.3% of the total national budget, showing a slight increase over the previous year. However, there is no explicit indication that a significant portion of this budget is earmarked specifically for NCDs or that the funding for NCDs has been substantially increased or guaranteed to be uninterrupted.
To ensure adequate and uninterrupted funding for NCDs, recommended measures include increasing government budget allocation specifically targeting NCD prevention and control, beyond the general health sector budget. Other measures include developing comprehensive, data-driven investment cases and strategies for NCDs, aligning with international commitments and frameworks that call for sustainable health financing, exploring innovative financing mechanisms, and ensuring political commitment to maintain uninterrupted funding flows.
The speakers at the workshop expressed concerns about the country's preparedness to address the rising burden of NCDs due to insufficient funding. One of the speakers stated that without adequate and uninterrupted funding, the country's efforts to control hypertension and other life-threatening NCDs will remain severely constrained. The speakers also called for ensuring the supply of free medicines for hypertension treatment in all community clinics and upazila health complexes across the country.
Hypertension and other NCDs account for 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh, making it crucial to address this issue urgently. Given the large and rising human and economic toll of NCDs, significant increases in targeted funding and sustained investment are essential to prevent escalation of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh and similar low- and middle-income countries. The workshop ended with a call for stronger policy commitment and greater investment in preventive care and treatment infrastructure for NCDs.
- Increased funding for chronic diseases like cancer and hypertension, along with mental health therapies and treatments, is crucial for improving health and wellness in Bangladesh.
- To effectively combat a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as chronic diseases and medical conditions, there's a need to explore innovative financing mechanisms, including government budget allocation specifically targeting NCD prevention and control.
- Adequate funding for NCDs, particularly for fitness and exercise programs, nutrition education, and cardiovascular health initiatives, is essential to prevent escalation of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh and similar low- and middle-income countries.
- Speakers at the workshop emphasized the importance of ensuring the supply of free medicines for hypertension treatment in all community clinics and upazila health complexes across Bangladesh, as part of the larger battle against life-threatening NCDs.
- The workshop concluded with a call for stronger policy commitments toward health and wellness, including mental health, through significant increases in targeted funding and sustained investment in preventive care and treatment infrastructure for NCDs in Bangladesh.
