High medicine prices threaten healthcare of poor communities

Medicines

Marginalised and low-income communities in Bangladesh face a severe healthcare crisis as potential medicine price hikes following the country’s LDC graduation threaten to halt their access to essential treatment.

The findings were revealed in a research report presented today by ‘Bangladesh LDC Graduation Watch’ during a discussion meeting at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) auditorium in Dhaka. The session began with a minute of silence in memory of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who passed away earlier this morning.

The study, which focused on 100 low-income individuals from the Dalit community in Dhaka and tea workers in Srimangal, highlighted the crushing financial burden of healthcare-

Income Depletion: Low-income families already spend an average of 33 percent of their monthly earnings on medicine. In extreme cases, such as cancer treatment, some families spend up to 135 percent of their total income.

Treatment Discontinuation: Due to past price increases, 84 percent of women and 53 percent of men have already either stopped their treatment or reduced their dosages.

Future Risks: If prices rise by another 20-30 percent, approximately 23 percent of women and 29 percent of men will be unable to afford any treatment. Furthermore, about 60 percent of both men and women indicated they would have to take loans to continue their medical care.

Speaking at the event, Firoz Ahmed, a member of the Constitution Reform Committee, noted that while healthcare is a fundamental right in the constitution, it remains unenforceable by courts.

He emphasized that the state must ensure medical treatment for all citizens before graduating from the LDC status.

Pavel Partha, Director of BARCIK, warned that international trade agreements post-graduation, particularly the TRIPS Agreement, could cause immeasurable damage to the pharmaceutical sector.

Additionally, representatives for tea and garment workers shared harrowing accounts of occupational health hazards, noting that workers often lose their ability to work after just 12 years and cannot afford the rising costs of medicines on their meager wages.

Zakir Hossain, CEO of Nagorik Uddyog, concluded the meeting by pledging further research and advocacy to mitigate the negative impacts of LDC graduation on the country's most vulnerable populations. - UNB