Shah Imam Ali Reza

Additional Secretary (Planning), Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: “Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains a critical target under Sustainable Development Goal 3.8, requiring us to improve the quality of health services, reduce out-of-pocket costs, and ensure the efficient use of public resources. While Bangladesh has made impressive strides in strengthening rural health systems, urban primary healthcare has not yet received the focused and structured attention it urgently needs.

Rapid urbanization is placing unprecedented pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals, making it essential to strengthen urban primary healthcare (PHC) services. By bolstering urban PHC, we can reduce the patient load on higher-level facilities and ensure people receive timely, accessible, and quality care close to their communities.

In this regard, we have begun implementing innovative solutions such as a digital health initiative supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This initiative aims to improve referral mechanisms by better linking urban primary care providers with secondary and tertiary hospitals, enabling more coordinated and efficient care delivery.

However, addressing the complex health challenges of urban areas demands a coordinated and multisectoral approach, with strengthened governance, adequate financing, and robust partnerships among government, development partners, and civil society. Only by enhancing integration across service levels and sectors can we achieve equitable, sustainable, and people-centered urban health systems.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is committed to advancing these efforts and calls for collective action to build resilient urban health systems that leave no one behind as Bangladesh progresses toward UHC.”