In the proposed budget for the financial year 2024-2025, an allocation of Tk 41,407 crore has been proposed for the health and family welfare sector, which is five and a half percent of the total proposed budget.
Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali is presenting the budget in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday (June 6) under the chairmanship of Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Finance Minister said, in order to maintain the continuous progress of health care and health education and family welfare, I am proposing to allocate Tk 41 thousand 407 crore in the next financial year 2024-25, which was Tk 38 thousand 51 crore in the financial year 2023-24.
Accordingly, the health sector budget has been increased by 3 thousand 356 crores in this financial year.
Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said that despite resource constraints, Bangladesh has shown remarkable success in achieving SDG goals related to health. Maternal mortality rate was 351 per lakh in 2007 which has decreased to 136 at present. The under-five mortality rate was 60 per thousand in 2007, which has declined to 33 per thousand today.
He also said that life expectancy was 66.6 in 2007, which has increased to 72.3 today. The success of Bangladesh’s expanded immunization program has been globally acclaimed. The rate of full immunization of children under one year of age increased from 75 percent to 94 percent.
The size of the proposed budget for the financial year 2024-25 has been estimated at 7 lakh 97 thousand crores. The deficit in this huge budget is estimated to be Tk 2 lakh 51 thousand 600 crores. And without the grant, the deficit will be 2 lakh 56 thousand crores. Which is 4.6 percent of the total GDP.
AAM/MHR/GKS
