The average life expectancy of the Bangladeshi people has now reached nearly 72 years.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malique made the disclosure at a press conference at the ministry in the city on Thursday ahead of the World Health Day-2018.
The average life expectancy of the people was 65.5 years in 2000 and now it increased to 71.8 years, said the state minister, adding that the success is the outcome of various steps undertaken by the government.
Malique said around 18 to 22 per cent people are now living under the poverty line. Soaring expenditure of health services is one of the main causes of variation of the poverty rate, he added.
"If it is possible to bring down the expenditure of health services, the poverty rate will reduce," the state minister said.
In Bangladesh, Malique said about 67 per cent of the total health services cost is being borne by the patient himself.
So, fixation of drug price is very essential to bring down the health services cost, he detailed.
The government is formulating the health safety act in the interests of the patients and the physicians and the draft of the act is now at the final stage, said the state minster.
Family Planning Division Secretary Fayez Ahmed, Health Services Division Secretary Sirajul Haq Khan and Director General of the Department of Health Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, among others, were present on the occasion, reports UNB.
