Govt launches Tk 4,039 cr project to fight TB, AIDS, malaria
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Government is undertaking a new Tk 4,039 crore program to provide free treatment for tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria.
In the past, government hospitals provided treatment for these three diseases for a long time. Non-governmental development organizations also offered the service. Although the treatment was expensive, programs were conducted with funding from various sector programs and assistance from donor agencies.
However, after the fourth sector program ended in June 2024, it was not restarted in July due to various reasons, causing the health sector to lose momentum. Donor agency funding also gradually declined. As a result, essential services - such as field-level manpower and major supplies of medicines and reagents - came to a halt.
Under these circumstances, the financial burden of treating these diseases fell upon the citizens, which is quite expensive and requires regular medical care.
For these reasons, the government wants to continue the previous services and will provide the majority of the funding, while Tk 870 crore will come as a grant from The Global Fund.
Reliance on development partners for managing these three diseases will decrease. To this end, a project titled “Integrated Health System Response to Fight Against TB, AIDS and Malaria in Bangladesh” is scheduled to be presented on Wednesday, at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The meeting will take place in the Cabinet Conference Room at the Secretariat in Dhaka, presided over by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman.
Planning Secretary SM Shakil Akhtar told Agamir Somoy, “People in our country are falling below the poverty line to meet medical expenses. Under such circumstances, if the proposed project is implemented, it will be very helpful for people suffering from these three diseases.
“Considering these factors, recommendation has been given for the approval of the project. If approved at the ECNEC meeting, it will be implemented by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) starting this year through June 2029.”
Ministry of Health said HIV services were concentrated in 23 priority districts for a long time. Currently, infections are being detected in new locations outside these districts, and transmission is rising.
In 2025, out of 1,891 newly detected HIV cases, 334 cases (17 percent) were identified in districts outside the priority list. Considering the nationwide spread of the infection and the gap in achieving the 95 percent target, plans are underway to launch AIDS testing services across all 64 districts. The project proposal aims to bring 9,87,718 patients under detection and treatment.
The sensitivity of 100 percent of detected tuberculosis patients will also be identified under this project. The HIV status of 100 percent of registered new and re-infected tuberculosis patients will be ensured. Over the project duration, 85 percent of an estimated 17,700 people diagnosed as HIV-positive will be included in treatment programs.
The viral load of 93 percent of HIV patients under treatment will be suppressed. Efforts will also be made to bring down the annual malaria incidence rate among populations at risk of malaria to below 1 per 1,000 people.
Ministry of Health added in the project proposal that the DGHS has been implementing tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS activities for a long time with assistance from the government and donor agencies, which falls under SDG Target 3.3.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is essential for the government. DGHS and private organizations are working jointly to reduce the infection and mortality rates of these three diseases.
Planning Commission Socio-Economic Infrastructure Division Md Ehsanul Haque said, “If the project is implemented, the prevention and treatment management of tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV or AIDS in the country will become integrated and sustainable. Alongside this, dependency on development partners in this work will gradually decrease.
“For 30 years, the management of these three diseases has been conducted sequentially through development partners. Exiting from this situation and managing these diseases with domestic financing will be cost-effective. Considering the importance of these matters, approval of the project has been recommended.”
