![](https://bids.org.bd/uploads/Seminar/Hies 2022.jpg)
Catastrophic Health Shocks and Impoverishment in Bangladesh: Insights from HIES 2022
Bangladesh Institute of
Development Studies (BIDS) organized a seminar titled “Catastrophic Health
Shocks and Impoverishment in Bangladesh: Insights from HIES 2022”. The seminar
was held on Monday, 15 July 2024, at BIDS conference room from 2:00 PM to 4:00
PM.
The speaker of the
seminar was Dr. Abdur Razzaque Sarker, Research Fellow at BIDS. Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, Honourable
Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of the People’s
Republic of Bangladesh, graced the event as the chief guest. Dr. Binayak Sen,
Director General of BIDS, moderated the event.
In his presentation, Dr.
Sarker focused on the incidence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure, the impoverishment
effect due to out-of-pocket (OOP) cost, catastrophic health expenditure (CHE)
related indicators, and financial distress. The study pointed out medicine
expenses were the most significant component of out-of-pocket expenditures.
According to the
Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022, Dr. Sarker found that
about 3.7 percent of the population had fallen below the poverty line due to
out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure, which consisted of 6.13 million people.
Dr. Sarker emphasized seeking
alternative financing mechanisms to reduce the OOP cost. He pointed out
imposing sin tax as an option, noting that tobacco companies affect public
health and add extra pressure on the healthcare system as a result. The revenue
from the sin tax could be used for the healthcare system. He suggested
introducing health insurance to tackle high out-of-pocket expenses, as the
effectiveness of social health insurance has been instrumental among different categories
of health insurance. Dr. Sarker concluded by estimating that introducing
universal health coverage (UHC) in Bangladesh would be achievable on account of
the country’s well-structured healthcare system and workforce, therefore,
stable and effective policies are required to implement social or national
health insurance schemes.
Honourable Health
Minister also mentioned that the task of introducing universal health coverage
(UHC) is ongoing, though it would need some time. He stated that the budget
allocated for the healthcare sector is not very insufficient if it can be used
properly. He also expressed his commitment to make healthcare facilities more
accessible for rural people and promised to pass the Health Protection Act for
the welfare of patients and doctors.
Dr. Binayak Sen proposed
setting up community health clinics in urban areas similar to those in rural
areas, aiming to form a referral-based healthcare system.
Esteemed guests, including BIDS researchers, healthcare experts, and journalists, participated physically and virtually in the discussion session moderated by Dr. Binayak Sen, Director General of BIDS.