GUEST & SPEAKER STRUCTURE

Chief Guest: Dr. Zubaida Rahman (Cardiologist) — Vice President, Ziaur Rahman Foundation

Special Guest: Dr. M A Muhit, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Moderator: Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder, Prime Minister's special assistant on health affairs, Prime Minister’s Office

Keynote Speaker: National Prof. Dr. AK Azad Khan, President, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh

Panelist: Md. Alamgir Hossain, Director General of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA)

Panelist: Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed — Executive Director, icddr,b;

Panelist: Dr. Md. Matiur Rahman Deputy Executive Director-2, TMSS

Panelist: Dr. Azharul Islam Khan, Director of Medical Services, United Healthcare 

Panelist: Dr.  Sadaf Saaz Siddiqi- Founder and CEO of EskeGen

CONTEXT & BACKGROUND

Out-of-pocket payments account for roughly two-thirds or more of health expenditure in Bangladesh, among the highest shares globally, exposing millions of households to financial hardship each year. At the same time, Bangladesh has a strong foundation for building a modern health economy: its pharmaceutical industry meets approximately 98 percent of domestic medicine demand and exports to more than 150 countries, while hospitals, diagnostic networks and HealthTech ventures are expanding access to care across underserved areas. With over 5 billion dollars bleeding the economy per year primarily for tertiary care; especially in oncology, lies an enormous opportunity for reverse medical tourism. 

However, persistent gaps in healthcare delivery, workforce capacity, referral systems, quality assurance, research infrastructure and health-data integration continue to limit affordability and outcomes. Bangladesh must now connect improvements in frontline service delivery with emerging opportunities in biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars, biotechnology, precision medicine, theranostics and other life-sciences industries, beyond LDC graduation. The true potential is not in generic formulation based industry but in drug discovery and development with huge talent home and abroad by creating a chain reaction from Ministries of Education to Science, Livestock, health, industry, commerce, foreign and PMO. A One Health perspective is also essential to address the interconnected risks arising from human, animal and environmental health, including antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases and climate-related health threats.

SYNOPSIS

Health is both a public-value priority and a major frontier for innovation, investment and industrial development, where the government leverages uncertainty and the private sector addresses risk in an optimal PPP model. This plenary will examine how Bangladesh can build a more accessible, affordable and accountable healthcare system while developing the capabilities required to become a competitive regional hub for health innovation and life sciences. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE SESSION

Define how Bangladesh can strengthen healthcare delivery and workforce capacity, build an integrated and accountable health-data ecosystem, and accelerate innovation and investment in HealthTech, biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars, theranostics and the wider life-sciences sector, while embedding affordability, inclusion and a One Health perspective. Aim is to synthesise future proof observations for the next generation with possible next steps.