Major Barriers on Universal Health Coverage in Bangladesh

In 2020, while the government spent Tk 2,187 crore on medicines, the public paid nearly Tk 38,000 crore out of pocket, making medicines the biggest driver of health-related financial burden. This gap highlights the urgent need to plan the health budget more strategically, based on real cost drivers. In a roundtable with The Business Standard, this discussion highlighted why high medicine costs and weak financing strategies remain major barriers to achieving Universal Health Coverage. Without stronger public investment, better budget planning, and improved access to affordable medicines; especially through primary healthcare UHC 2030 will remain out of reach. Universal Health Coverage Day may have passed, but the message is clear: reducing out-of-pocket costs for medicines is essential to building a fairer and more resilient health system for all.