Description
Background: Disability became a substantial global challenge, significantly affecting social participation and economic productivity. This issue is particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh. Despite the high prevalence of disability within the population, national-level insights into the health and economic burden of disability in Bangladesh are scarce, leading to the unknown need and hindering efforts to improve national initiatives on improving preventive, curative and rehabilitation services.Aim: This study aims to estimate the health and economic burden of disability in Bangladesh, highlighting disability prevalence, types, severity, excess healthcare costs, and the incidence of Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE).
Method: This quantitative research analysed nationally representative cross-sectional data from the 2022 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) of Bangladesh. Disabilities were assessed by identifying difficulties related to vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, self-care, and communication among 62,407 participants from 14,400 households. Disability status was determined through self-reported assessments using the Washington Group's Short Set of Questions. The incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) was defined as household healthcare costs exceeding 40% of their non-food expenditure.
Results: National disability prevalence was estimated at 5.7% (CI: 5.48-5.85), with 4.19% reporting "some difficulty", 1.36% "severe difficulty", and 0.16% being "fully disabled". The most common disability prevalence was recorded for visual (3.0%) and the lowest for communication-related disabilities (1.4%). Prevalence was higher among females (7.25%), rural residents (7.06%), the elderly (33.63%), participants with chronic illnesses (11%) and inversely related to asset quintiles. Multiple disabilities were present in 2.26% of the population, with visual and hearing impairments frequently co-occurring (1.16%). Households with disabled members reported higher healthcare expenditures compared to those without (37% vs. 27% of non-food expenditures) and experienced a higher incidence of CHE (15% vs. 9.6%). The primary coping strategy differed by income level: low-income households mainly relied on donations (42.7%), while higher-income households primarily used their savings (43.1%).
Conclusion: The study highlights a higher prevalence of disabilities among specific demographic groups in Bangladesh, with the overall burden remaining greater than in many other LMICs. Additionally, our analysis underscores the heightened vulnerability of poorer populations to disabilities, highlighting broader socioeconomic disparities. High rates of visual, mobility, cognitive, and hearing disabilities emphasise the need for extending preventive, curative and rehabilitation services prioritising vulnerable groups within the country. The financial strain on affected households calls for expanding social safety nets and subsidies for ATs to reduce healthcare disparities.
| Period | 19 Jul 2025 → 23 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | International Health Economics Association (IHEA) |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 16 |
| Location | Bali, IndonesiaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |