‘Bangladesh’s Urban Health System Needs to Focus on Prevention, Primary Care’
News Article: With a growing number of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and mental illnesses — accounting for about 70% of all deaths in Bangladesh — the country’s urban healthcare system must prioritise prevention and strengthen primary care through better coordination between public and private providers, said Professor Helen Elsey from the University of York, UK, in an interview with The Business Standard’s Md Jahidul Islam, published April 2025.
“We must address broader issues like air pollution, access to healthier environments for diet and exercise, and clean water and sanitation, which help protect against both communicable and non-communicable diseases.”
Bangladesh’s urban NCD care faces challenges due to limited public facilities, uncoordinated private and NGO providers and weak record-keeping. CHORUS Bangladesh seeks evidence-based solutions to improve urban primary healthcare. In an interview with Prof. Helen Elsey, CHORUS Research Co-Director, discusses how the interim government of Bangladesh can improve urban health; the crucial role of local governments and city corporations, and the need to take a multisectoral approach to drive change to make cities healthier for everyone. Read the full article here :
Feature Image Credit: Sketch by TBS