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Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

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Households pay <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> major share of health expenditures<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bangladesh; <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir relative share has <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creased from57 per cent of THE <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1997 to 65 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2007.The government is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>d largest f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>anc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g agent,account<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for 26 per cent of THE <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2007, with its sharedecl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g from 36 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1997.For public sector f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>anc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, MOHFW serves as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> primaryf<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ancial <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>termediary of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government, receiv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g fundsfrom <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of F<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ance. Of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> total amount ofpublic sector health f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>anc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, MOHFW’s share was Tk.40.1 billi<strong>on</strong> (US$ 581 milli<strong>on</strong>), which is 97 per cent of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>total public f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>anc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2007. MOHFW uses <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se fundsprimarily by disburs<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to those units provid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ghealth care. In additi<strong>on</strong> to its own providers, throughtransfers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> grants-<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>-aid to NGOs, MOHFW supports<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> health, FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> maternal <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> child health activities ofNGOs (GOB, 2010d).The estimated budget for HNPSP (2003-2011) is Tk.3,738,411.05 lacs 5 , of which Tk. 2,081,764.52 lacs (56%)is from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government revenue budget, Tk. 629,911.82lacs (17%) from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government development budget,<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Tk. 1,026,734.71 lacs (27%) from project aid. For<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development budget, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government’s share is 38per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> that of development partners is 62 per cent.Out of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development budget of Tk. 1,656,647, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>share of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> maternal, child <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> RH programmeis Tk. 357,129 (22%) of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> total development budget –Tk. 98,662 lacs (16%) from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government developmentbudget <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Tk. 258,467 (25%) from project aid. Of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>total amount allocated to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> maternal, child <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>RH programme, FP service delivery accounts for 56 percent, while it accounts for <strong>on</strong>ly 12 per cent of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> totaldevelopment budget allocated to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> health, populati<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> nutriti<strong>on</strong> sector (GOB, 2008a).Dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g 2003/04 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2009/10, actual expenditure from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>revenue budget was over 90 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> most years, exceptfor 2005/06 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2008/09. However, expenditure from<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development budget did not follow any clear pattern,rang<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g between 62 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2008/09 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 89 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>2004/05 (see Table 2). Thus, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> allocati<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>maternal, child <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> RH programme is <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>adequate, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>programme is unable to spend <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> funds allocated to it,<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>reby not be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g able to achieve <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> desired programmeobjectives. Inefficiencies <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> public spend<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>health sector’s most immediate challenge. Widespreadsystem <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>efficiencies, weak plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> anoverly centralized approval process lead to underspend<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gof available funds. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, weak accountability, limitedimplementati<strong>on</strong> capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> weak governance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>evitablylead to underperformance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> delivery of public services(World Bank, 2010).The way forwardGiven <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> major gaps faced by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bangladesh <str<strong>on</strong>g>Family</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>Plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g</str<strong>on</strong>g> Programme discussed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> preced<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g secti<strong>on</strong>of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present paper 6 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> identificati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> major<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terventi<strong>on</strong>s of HPNSSP, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a need to adopt <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>effectively implement <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g strategies to reverse<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> slow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rate of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> CPR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>sequent stall<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>/or near stagnati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertilitydecl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e.Need to develop a supportive <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>proactive policy envir<strong>on</strong>mentThere is no doubt <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bangladesh <str<strong>on</strong>g>Family</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g</str<strong>on</strong>g>Programme has lost much of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> focus <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> priority ithad received until <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mid-1990s. To fully achieve itsdevelopment objectives <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> br<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> desiredreducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> poverty levels, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government should givehigh priority to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> RH programme <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> makeit an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tegral part of its overall development agenda;o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rwise, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> demographic challenges it faces will impedeits overall development goals <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> objectives. Hence, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>reis clearly a need to develop a supportive <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> proactivepolicy envir<strong>on</strong>ment by sensitiz<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> political leadership<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r stakeholders about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> grave dangers of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ued relatively high populati<strong>on</strong> growth rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>country. Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a need for a more <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusive strategy,<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g greater <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volvement <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> participati<strong>on</strong> of allo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istries c<strong>on</strong>cerned, NGOs, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> private sector <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>professi<strong>on</strong>al groups. The political leadership should renewits commitment to c<strong>on</strong>ta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rate of populati<strong>on</strong> growth,as it had until <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mid-1990s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead of putt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> issue<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> backburner.With <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> end<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of HNPSP <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> June 2011, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>government was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volved <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> design<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g its next five-yearHealth, Populati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nutriti<strong>on</strong> Sector Strategic Plan(HPNSSP), which would c<strong>on</strong>clude <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2016. That Planrecognizes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> demographic challenges faced by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>country. The overall objective is to achieve replacementlevel fertility by 2016. The Plan is aimed at rais<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g CPR to75 per cent from 56 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2007 (GOB, 2010e). Thetarget appears ambitious, imply<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a 2 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>CPR annually. However, given <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>siderable unmet needfor c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> target can be achieved, though withmajor modificati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> overhaul<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> programme.HPNSSP has identified a number of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terventi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>modificati<strong>on</strong>s to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP programme aimed at facilitat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ga fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility. These <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clude <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> need to:(a) promote <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creased use of FP before <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first birth; (b)provide better counsel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> side effects; (c) hire additi<strong>on</strong>alfieldworkers <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> low-perform<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g regi<strong>on</strong>s; (d) hire, tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>update programme pers<strong>on</strong>nel; (e) improve delivery ofFP as part of post-aborti<strong>on</strong> care; (f ) use different servicedelivery approaches for different geographic regi<strong>on</strong>s; (g)117

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