A Review on Health and Nutrition Status in Bangladesh: Issues and Challenges

Health is a right, not privilege. It needs to be delivered with equity. National economic and social developments depend a lot on the state of health services. Bangladesh territory is one of the largest deltas of the world. It is a low lying country and has borders with India on three sides. The country is covered with a network of rivers and canals. Bangladesh mostly comprises floodplain areas, with scattered hills at the eastern and the northern parts. Bangladesh is recognized as the worst victim of global climate change effects. The country manifests all the direct and indirect effects of climate change, such as global warming and sea level rise. As a result, human health has to bear enormous costs. A large number of Bangladeshis, particularly in the rural areas have little access to healthcare facilities. This study was aimed to find out the major public health issues and challenges in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has one of the worst burdens of childhood malnutrition in the world. Communicable diseases are a major cause of death and disability in Bangladesh. Pneumonia and other infections are major causes of death among young children. Unsafe food remains a major threat to public health each year. Different non-communicable diseases — chronic diseases, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases — is increasing in Bangladesh as the population becomes more urbanized. The disease burden Bangladesh is further exacerbated by unsanitary living conditions that underscore the poor economic conditions of both urban and rural home dwellers. There are still several issues that Bangladesh health care system is yet to tackle and such issues are preventing the implementation of solutions to the public health issues in Bangladesh.