Barriers in the Path to Achieve Universal Health Care in Bangladesh

Abstract

Universal health coverage (UHC) is the one of the essential targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be achieved by financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all by the year 2030.¹ According to the World Health Organization (WHO), UHC offers an effective health system by which all people have quality health services according to their needs and affordable to them.² Bangladesh is a country that has seen remarkable health improvements since gaining independence in 1971, and has evolved from being a “basket case”, to an exemplar of “good health at low cost”.^{3, 4} The Bangladeshi Constitution commits to address inequalities in access to health in rural areas, and the country joined the global community in committing to achieve UHC by 2030 under the SDGs.⁵