Bangladeshi households on average spend Tk 3,454 per month on healthcare, accounting for 11 per cent of total household expenditure, said BIDS citing a study report on Thursday.
Medicines and diagnostic services were the largest cost drivers, the study found.
And, overall, 22.32 per cent of the population reported a monthly need for healthcare, of which 15 per cent experienced unmet healthcare needs representing 65 per cent of the total need.
The study findings were shared at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in the city, titled "Re-thinking unmet healthcare needs and dynamics of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure in Bangladesh".
The study utilised data from the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022, comprising 14,400 households and 62,387 individuals.
Abdur Razzaque Sarker, senior research fellow and division chief, Population Studies Division, BIDS, presented the findings.
Prof Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Prime Minister's adviser on the ministries of planning and finance, addressed the event as the chief guest while Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, a prominent economist and a former adviser to the interim government, spoke as the chairperson of the event.
Prof AK Enamul Haque, director general, BIDS, gave the welcome remarks.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said that the government is determined to allocate 5.0 per cent of GDP to have a pro-people healthcare system.
"If the government expenditure in the health sector increases, then the discrimination in availing healthcare service will be reduced. But the expenditure must be justified and the capabilities of taking projects and implementing those also should be improved," said the PM's adviser.
According to the study, unmet need was higher in rural areas compared to urban areas (68 per cent vs 59 per cent). The highest levels of unmet need were observed in Narail (81 per cent) while the lowest was reported in Feni (18 per cent) district. The utilisation of healthcare services in public facilities was distributed equitably, while healthcare services in private facilities were disproportionately concentrated among the wealthier, said the study.
Despite higher absolute health expenditures among the richest group, the financial burden was significantly greater for poorer households (5 per cent vs. 35 per cent of total income).
Echoing the same, Prof Wahiduddin said that the health sector doesn't even know what is the demand and the health ministry doesn't know how to take and implement projects; therefore the health budget often gets back to the government.
"The more the government spends in the health sector; discrimination would be reduced in the sector. And, the more we depend on the private sector, public expenditure will rise," he explained.
The study said that despite improvements in many health indicators, out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure remains a dominant payment mechanism for healthcare in Bangladesh, and its share has been rising at an alarming rate of 79 per cent.
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