Budget allocations for health services, education, and research have increased, emphasizing the development of skilled healthcare professionals and the improvement of maternal and child health services.

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali presented the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, totaling Tk797,000 crore (Tk7.97 trillion), in parliament on Thursday. This was his first budget presentation and the first budget following the reelection of the Awami League government in January.

The minister proposed Tk41,407 crore for the health sector for FY25, an increase from Tk38,051 crore in the previous fiscal year.

He also announced the introduction of new vaccines—typhoid conjugate and Japanese encephalitis vaccines—into the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in 2025.

To address health risks such as pandemics, the finance minister proposed a dedicated allocation of Tk2,000 crore this year, continuing the special budgetary provisions made since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

He proposed an allocation of Tk100 crore for the Integrated Health-Science Research and Development Fund to establish infrastructure for basic and applied research in medicine, support research activities, and enhance innovation capacity in the health sector.

“Ensuring universal health and nutrition is one of our government’s core principles. We are diligently working towards this goal by providing affordable quality health, nutrition, and family welfare services to the public,” the minister said in his speech.

“We have already made significant progress in health, nutrition, and family welfare sectors. Despite resource constraints, Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in meeting health-related MDG targets. Inspired by this, we are working to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and the goals of the Perspective Plan by 2041 to ensure smart health services,” he said.

He highlighted the government’s development efforts over the past 15 years, noting that the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) was established in 1972 to advance medical research.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has implemented extensive health research programs over the past 15 years, in line with the nation’s commitment to universal health and nutrition, the minister mentioned.

“Significant improvements have been made, including reductions in maternal and child mortality rates, increased life expectancy, and expanded immunization coverage. The government has enhanced immunization programs and introduced the HPV vaccine,” he said.

The community clinic initiative has led to the construction of over 14,000 clinics, providing free medicine and gaining international recognition, the minister mentioned.

Mahmood Ali noted that the digitalization of the health sector includes electronic health databases and telemedicine services.

“The pharmaceutical industry meets 98% of local medicine demand and exports globally. From January to December 2023, the export of medicines worth Tk9,880 crore from Bangladesh to various countries has been approved.”

The finance minister said that 10,500 doctors, 15,000 nurses, 1,000 midwives, and 650 medical technologists were recruited last year to sustain and enhance achievements in the health sector, adding that the recruitment of 10,000 more nurses is underway.

“Several initiatives have been taken in the healthcare sector to meet future demand,” he said.

“In addition to developing health education infrastructure, there is also a focus on formulating modern health education policies. This includes the Bangladesh Allied Health Education Board Act, 2023, and the Bangladesh Medical Education Accreditation Act, 2023,” the finance minister said.

BDST: 2050 HRS, JUN 06, 2024
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