Benefits and Costs of Sexual and Reproductive Health for Bangladesh

Family planning is one of the most important interventions in sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh. It plays an important role in controlling population and for achieving sustainable development goals. More importantly, the concern is raised as the family planning practice in Bangladesh is not the permanent method – rather temporary mixed methods are mostly used. Approximately 50 percent of demand for family planning are satisfied by modern contraceptive methods (USAID). This paper evaluates the cost-effectiveness of investing in sexual and reproductive health and provides a particular focus on family planning in Bangladesh.

This paper attempts to analyze the effect of potential investment in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services that includes but is not limited to family planning. In this regard, estimating the cost benefit ratios of SRH service provision in Bangladesh, we find that the ratio ranges from 1.2 to 4.5 considering aggregate of infant mortality, maternal mortality, and educational effect of family planning depending on the discount rates from 3 to 10 percent. The rationale for the investment in SRH not only because of this high BCR, but because it has been found that temporary mixed methods that are commonly used by couples in Bangladesh might not satisfy the fertility control requirement for a sustainable development goal in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the literature states that the investment in family planning is one of the most cost-effective investment, a continued investment in SRH in the post-2015 development agenda is expected which is reflected in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the post-2015 development agenda.

Reference:

Ahsanuzzaman. (2016). Benefits and Costs of Sexual and Reproductive Health for Bangladesh. North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/sites/default/files/zaman_sexual_reproductive_health.pdf