With the growing prevalence of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh, increased allocation in the health sector has become essential. The budget for FY 2025-26 reflects a slight increase from the previous FY 2024-25, with 5.3% of the total budget designated for health. Experts emphasize that a substantial portion of this funding should be directed toward combating serious non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertension.
Such recommendations were put forward at a workshop for senior journalists titled “Hypertension Control in Bangladesh: Progress and Way Forward”, held at the capital’s FARS Hotel and Resorts on 9th July 2025. The workshop was organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Twenty-two senior journalists working in print, television and online media participated in the workshop.
It was informed at the workshop that hypertension and various other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 71% of total deaths in Bangladesh. However, the budgetary allocation dedicated to combat NCDs is alarmingly low, comprising only 4.2 percent of the total health budget. While the provision of free medicine has already commenced to combat the prevalence of hypertension, it is essential to ensure the medicine’s availability in all Community Clinics and Upazila Health Complexes of the country along with sustainable funding required for this purpose.
The workshop highlighted that despite WHO’s longstanding recommendation and the recent endorsement by Health Sector Reform Commission to allocate 15% of the national budget for health, Bangladesh’s health budget has consistently remained around 5%. Sustainable funding is urgently required to strengthen the health system, particularly to combat non-communicable diseases like hypertension and to ensure an uninterrupted supply of anti-hypertensive medicines across all Community Clinics and Upazila Health Complexes.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA, were present at the workshop as discussants. PROGGA’s Director Md. Shahedul Alam, Head of Programs Md. Hasan Shahriar and Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prova delivered presentations on hypertension control. NTV’s Head of News, Zahirul Alam, moderated the session on media’s role in tackling hypertension, while bdnews24.com‘s Chief Crime Correspondent and Convener of Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), Mortuza Haider Liton, delivered the closing remarks.