Health System Preparedness and Response to Pandemics: Lessons from COVID-19 in Bangladesh
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Bangladesh's health system but has also provided key lessons for pandemic preparedness and response. This article utilizes a trend analysis and a correlation analysis of five health indicators (Health System Equity Index, Disease Prevalence Rate, Nutritional Status Score, Access to Services, and Vaccination Coverage) from 1994 to 2023. Trend analysis findings indicate that the Nutritional Status and Vaccination Coverage indicators were predominantly high. In contrast, the Access to Services and Health System Equity indicators had low and fluctuating values, indicating a lack of equity in health service provision in Bangladesh. The disease prevalence rate indicated there was no sustained improvement from baseline and that health issues continue. The correlation analysis generally revealed low correlations, except for moderate correlations between Disease Prevalence Rate and Nutritional Status Score, and Access to Services and Vaccination Coverage, suggesting that some health status dimensions are independent indicators of health preparedness. The findings illustrate that the response to an effective pandemic must examine each of the multi-dimensional factors, namely, equity, access to services, nutrition, and immunization. The lessons learned from Bangladesh's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic will provide policymakers with helpful suggestions for anticipating, building resilience, and responding to further public health threats.
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Publication Details
- Type of Publication:
- Conference Name: 7th International Conference on Integrated Sciences (ICIS) 2025
- Date of Conference: 25/10/2025 - 25/10/2025
- Venue: Eastern University Campus, Ashulia,Dhaka,Bangladesh
- Organizer: International Open University, Eastern University