Bangladesh : Unravelling the 'Good Health at Low Cost' Story
This case study describes Bangladesh’s success story using the standardized approach used by the Universal Health Coverage Studies Series (UNICO Studies Series) to provide a balanced account of the key pillars that lay behind the success of plurali...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/845061564731751504/Bangladesh-Unravelling-the-Good-Health-at-Low-Cost-Story http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32157 |
| Summary: | This case study describes Bangladesh’s
success story using the standardized approach used by the
Universal Health Coverage Studies Series (UNICO Studies
Series) to provide a balanced account of the key pillars
that lay behind the success of pluralism in the health
system of Bangladesh. The aim is to recognize the
contributions of the different actors (including the
Government and the informal sector, which in the past have
not been sufficiently recognized) and the strengths and
weaknesses of these pillars as the needs and opportunities
evolve due to emerging health issues. This lack of knowledge
is an impediment to policy formulation and implementation
aimed at maintaining the success of Bangladesh in the health
sector. The case study suggests that there were four pillars
to the successful pluralism that characterized Bangladesh:
(a) effective prioritization of public financing on highly
cost-effective interventions, (b) effective alignment of
government and DP financing based on the mechanism of the
SWAp, (c) extensive use of female CHWs and innovative NGOs,
and (d) a large informal private sector that functions as a
retailer of an unusually large and competitive domestic
pharmaceutical industry. It should be acknowledged that
determinants such as significant poverty reduction,
education of girls, female labor force participation, and
water and sanitation interventions outside the health sector
also played a significant role in achieving better health outcomes. |
|---|