ঢাকাসোমবার , ২৮ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০২৬
Hypertension-related heart disease is one of the leading causes of premature deaths in Bangladesh and around the world. The growing risk of hypertension and heart disease, particularly among young people, is deeply alarming. However, budgetary allocation for addressing these issues remains very low. Under these circumstances, allocating a significant portion of the increased health budget to hypertension control could substantially reduce premature deaths from heart disease.
Speakers shared these insights today (28 September, 2026) at a webinar titled “Health Budget to Address Hypertension and Heart Disease Risk Among Young People: Bangladesh Perspective,” organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), on the occasion of World Heart Day 2026. Tomorrow, 29 September, the day will be observed under the theme “Heart Disease Can Hide in Plain Sight: Don’t Miss a Beat.”
Speakers at a webinar highlighted that around 6.5 million people die prematurely from heart disease worldwide every year, with hypertension being one of its major causes. In Bangladesh, deaths from heart disease are also rising at an alarming rate, accounting for approximately 34 percent of all deaths in the country. In 2024, around 283,800 people died from cardiovascular diseases in Bangladesh, with hypertension accounting for 52 percent of these deaths. Of particular concern is that a significant proportion of these deaths are premature. According to the Bangladesh NCD STEPS Survey 2018, approximately 12 percent of the population aged 18-39 years have hypertension.
Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology & Research, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, stated, “The increase in the health sector budget allocation from 5.3% to 7.4% in the current fiscal year is truly commendable. Directing a notable portion of this extra allocation toward anti-hypertensive medicine will effectively lower the risk of hypertension-linked heart diseases in the country.”
Dr. Md. Maruf Haque Khan, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangladesh Medical University, said, “Awareness regarding healthy dietary practices and lifestyle must be increased to reduce the risk of hypertension-related heart disease.”
Sajjadur Rahman, Deputy Editor, The Business Standard, said, “Extensive campaigns across mass media and social media platforms are needed to raise awareness among youth about the risk of hypertension-related heart disease.”
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, stated, “Non-communicable diseases account for 71 percent of all deaths in the country, yet only 4.2 percent of the health budget is allocated to this sector. Funding must be increased to control hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.”
S M Nazer Hossain, Vice President, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Aminul Islam Sujan, Consultant, Vital Strategies also participated in the webinar as discussants. The webinar was presided over by ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA, and moderated by Samiha Bintay Kamal, Program Officer, PROGGA. Participants from diverse professional background across various regions of the country, alongside youth organizations like the Bangladesh Medical Students’ Society, Platform Doctors Foundation attended the webinar.
