We need public health reform for steady economic growth 

Visual: Health Reform”>Visual: Health ReformIn Bangladesh, where financial pressures and public health issues meet, investing in public health is not just a moral obligation, it is an economic requirement. By concentrating on harm mitigation approaches and employing health policies informed by data, the country can achieve economic steadiness in the short run, develop resilience in the medium range, and guarantee long-lasting growth.The need for such investments is urgent. In 2023, Bangladesh faced its worst dengue outbreak on record, with 321,179 cases and 1,705 deaths. The double burden of infectious and non-infectious diseases (NCDs) continues to put pressure on the healthcare system, worsened by one of the lowest health spending by a government in the world: 2.36 percent of GDP in 2021. Expanding public health programmes is not just about saving lives, it’s about promoting economic strength.Harm reduction tactics play a vital part in stabilising economies during health emergencies by maintaining workforce efficiency and lowering healthcare expenses. In Bangladesh, mental health concerns made worse by socioeconomic stresses brings to focus the urgent need for specific actions. Stress and worry suffered by informal workers, along with high out-of-pocket health costs, diminish productivity and burden households.During winter, health complications like breathing troubles and stomach ailments significantly affect vulnerable populations, especially kids and older adults. Tuberculosis (TB) also remains a continual issue, with Bangladesh ranking among the top eight countries globally for TB burden in 2022. Tackling these immediate health problems through focused harm-reduction efforts is essential to lessen economic disturbances.As per the World Health Organization (WHO), every dollar directed towards mental health produces a return in efficiency that is fourfold. Enhancing mental health resources along with disease prevention programmes ensures short-term stability while creating a base for future strength.Big data provides changing possibilities for tackling both temporary and long-term health issues. Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) taps into data to foresee dengue outbreak areas by scrutinising weather conditions, mosquito breeding details, and infection trends. Bangladesh can imitate this method to handle its ongoing health emergencies more efficiently.In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) pointed to the fundamental value of having centralised data. Real-time reporting enable effective resource distribution, such as assigning treatment centres and prioritising vaccine distributions in areas with high demand. Expanding this system through collaborations with private healthcare providers could build an integrated analytics platform capable of tracking diseases like TB, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and seasonal ailments.Working together with healthcare-providing businesses would b