Bangladesh has made progress in the healthcare sector by reducing maternal and child mortality rates, yet challenges persist in introducing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) due to inadequate government spending, disparities in healthcare services across urban and rural areas, inability to ensure quality healthcare services, and a lack of monitoring of service delivery. The high out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures, comprising 73 per cent of total spending, disproportionately burdens low-income and marginalised sections of the population and worsens poverty. Given the country’s persistent challenges in the healthcare sector, UHC can be a possible solution. This policy brief presents a set of recommendations intended to assist policy makers in shaping a policy framework for introducing UHC in the country.
Authors: Fahmida Khatun, Muntaseer Kamal, Foqoruddin Al Kabir and Preetilata Khondaker Huq
Publication Period: April 2025