5pc of GDP for health sector in phases: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said five percent of GDP will be allocated to the health sector in phases to make the healthcare system for every people.

In a message on the eve of World Health Day 2026, he also said preventive healthcare activities will be expanded along with quality medical services including comprehensive maternal and child healthcare in both urban and rural areas. 

He said one lakh healthcare workers will be recruited in phases and 80 percent of them will be women.

The premier said his government plans to introduce e-health cards for every citizen, ensure rapid and quality treatment for chronic and multifactorial diseases through public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives.

The government will implement necessary reforms to improve service quality and keep treatment costs affordable, introduce and gradually expand health insurance, strengthen medical education and research, and enact fair laws for both service providers and recipients, he said. 

"To achieve these goals, five percent of GDP will be allocated to the health sector in phases," he said.

Tarique Rahman said with a commitment to building a healthy and safe world for our future generations, World Health Day 2026 will be observed tomorrow in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world with the theme "Together for Health, Stand with Science".

He said human beings, animals, and the environment-these three components are closely interconnected as the safety and well-being of one is dependent on others.

Therefore, protection of all forms of life is a demand of the time, he said adding that this is the concept of 'One Health,' which emphasizes not only human well-being but also the health of surrounding living beings and the environment.     �"BSS