Universal health coverage and community engagement in Bangladesh: a situation analysis

Overview

Universal health coverage (UHC), a global health agenda, has been ratified by most countries, including Bangladesh. It is well acknowledged that community engagement is a necessary prerequisite for implementing UHC. As Bangladesh moves to achieving UHC by 2030, it is imperative to understand the current level of engagement of its citizens in planning, implementing and monitoring its health programmes and services. This study explored the current level in a local and a national situation analysis. It found a laudable level of citizen participation at local levels: community clinics, union health and family welfare centres and upazila health complexes. There is, however, no formal requirement to ensure participation at national level, although ad-hoc attempts to seek citizens’ opinions on specific issues, such as formulation of 5-year plans, are not uncommon. Community engagement at national level is often initiated by nongovernmental entities and think tanks. The report analyses the current situation and provides some recommendations for enhancing the participation of citizens in the health sector in Bangladesh.