This case study describes Bangladesh’ssuccess story using the standardized approach used by theUniversal Health Coverage Studies Series (UNICO StudiesSeries) to provide a balanced account of the key pillarsthat lay behind the success of pluralism in the healthsystem of Bangladesh. The aim is to recognize thecontributions of the different actors (including theGovernment and the informal sector, which in the past havenot been sufficiently recognized) and the strengths andweaknesses of these pillars as the needs and opportunitiesevolve due to emerging health issues. This lack of knowledgeis an impediment to policy formulation and implementationaimed at maintaining the success of Bangladesh in the healthsector. The case study suggests that there were four pillarsto the successful pluralism that characterized Bangladesh:(a) effective prioritization of public financing on highlycost-effective interventions, (b) effective alignment ofgovernment and DP financing based on the mechanism of theSWAp, (c) extensive use of female CHWs and innovative NGOs,and (d) a large informal private sector that functions as aretailer of an unusually large and competitive domesticpharmaceutical industry. It should be acknowledged thatdeterminants such as significant poverty reduction,education of girls, female labor force participation, andwater and sanitation interventions outside the health sectoralso played a significant role in achieving better health outcomes.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
