Raising the level of nutrition and improvement of public health are among the primary responsibilities of the state. Healthcare thus figures very prominently in government policies all over the world. There are countries, among the developed group, where it is the healthcare agenda alone that is potentially capable of deciding the fate of governments.
Like many developing countries, Bangladesh lags far behind in providing adequate healthcare facilities due mainly to fund constraints. So, it is not strange that budgetary allocation, as a percentage of total budget size, is not healthy in Bangladesh. In the last fourteen years (FY 2003-04 to FY 2016-17) allocation for the health sector increased gradually each year but in the proposed national budget for FY 2017-18 the allocation has been downsized by Tk. 13.05 billion from that of the outgoing FY 2016-17 budget.
Though the allocation for health sector should be at least 15 per cent of total budget according to the suggestion of the World Health Organisation (WHO), in the last fourteen years it fluctuated between 4.3 and 6.8 per cent of the respective budgets. In the proposed national budget for FY 2017-18, health sector allocation is only 4.04 per cent of the total budget size, the lowest in percentage terms in the last fourteen years.
In FY 2016-17, an allocation of Tk 174.87 billion was proposed in the budget for health sector, which was 5.13 per cent of the total budget size, resulting in an increase of Tk. 47.92 billion from the previous year. On June 01, 2017, Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed for an allocation of Tk 161.82 billion for the health sector, that is, 4.04 per cent of the total budget for FY 2017-18, which represents a decline of Tk. 13.05 billion from that of the earlier year.
Review of the health sector allocations in past years shows that allocation as a percentage of national budget increased from 5.0 per cent in FY 2003-04 to 6.8 per cent in FY 2006-07. This was followed by a consistently declining trend in later years, hitting the lowest level in percentage terms in the upcoming budget.
Allocation for health sector has decreased at a time when the government is committed to provide the citizens with better healthcare facilities. The reduced allocation would affect healthcare services and make it harder for public healthcare system to provide necessary services to the people.
There are studies that reveal that the country is fraught with serious problems in mitigating nutritional needs of the people. Public healthcare services are in a state of disarray, and reduced funds would invariably worsen the situation. The proposed budget does not mention any healthcare programme that would bring any improvement in the overall environment.
It is indeed unfortunate that when huge funds have been proposed for state-owned banks to ride out their financial difficulties, and people are being taxed more than ever before, allocation for the health sector has not been recognised as one of high priorities. The government should rethink and consider raising the allocation as part of its commitment for affordable and accessible healthcare for the people.
The writer is a freelancer.
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