Bangladesh: Innovation for Universal Health Coverage
Bangladesh, the eighth most populous country in the world with about 153 million people, has recently been applauded as an exceptional health performer. Improvements in the survival of infants and children under 5 years of age, life expectancy, immunisation coverage, and tuberculosis control in Bangladesh are part of a remarkable success story for health in the South Asian country. This is despite low spending on health care, a weak health system, and widespread poverty. But the nation still faces considerable problems, including deep poverty and malnutrition, and this is being exacerbated by an evolving set of 21st-century challenges. The six-part Series takes a comprehensive look at one of the "great mysteries of global health", investigating a story not only of "unusual success" but also the challenges that lie ahead as Bangladesh moves towards universal health coverage.
Human resources for health and universal health coverage: fostering equity and effective coverage
Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves distributing resources, especially human resources for health (HRH), to match population needs. This paper explores the policy lessons on HRH from four countries that have achieved sustained improvements in UHC: Brazil, Ghana, Mexico and Thailand. Its purpose is to inform global policy and financial commitments on HRH in support of UHC. The paper reports on country experiences using an analytical framework that examines effective coverage in relation to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of HRH. The AAAQ dimensions make it possible to perform tracing analysis on HRH policy actions since 1990 in the four countries of interest in relation to national trends in workforce numbers and population mortality rates. The findings inform key principles for evidence-based decision-making on HRH in support of UHC.