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Public health specialist Abu Jamil Faisel said the decline in primary healthcare services is creating multiple problems, including the recent measles outbreak.

He said immunisation is a key component of primary healthcare, and disruptions in vaccination services contributed to the outbreak.

Similarly, the family planning programme, another major component of primary healthcare, has remained stagnant for years and requires urgent intervention, he added.

Ashrafi Ahmad, director general of the Directorate General of Family Planning, said funds had been allocated for contraceptive procurement and expressed hope that all types of contraceptives would be available by August this year.

State Minister for Health MA Muhit said the government’s health plan is focused on strengthening primary healthcare and building a modernised health system.

He said the existing family planning structure is a major asset, but the system must evolve to meet changing needs.

Muhit said health assistants, family welfare assistants, and community healthcare providers currently work under separate authorities, creating duplication in services.

To improve efficiency, the government is working to reorganise the structure, he said, adding that one lakh new health workers will also be recruited under the new system.

SM Ziauddin Hyder, special assistant to the prime minister, said the current health system is heavily dependent on curative care, but the government wants to shift the focus toward preventive and promotive healthcare.

“And primary healthcare will be at the centre of the system,” he said, adding that the government plans to overhaul the system within the next three years.

“We will reform the system without halting ongoing services … We have already held meetings on how to mitigate the contraceptive crisis,” he added.

Other health experts, family planning officials, and journalists also spoke at the programme.