The Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) has launched the ‘Preventive Healthcare’ Program to improve access to essential healthcare services among low-income communities, prevent diseases, reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure (OPHE), and strengthen households’ capacity to cope with health-related risks. The Program was formally launched on 1 July 2026 at PKSF Bhaban-1, Agargaon, Dhaka.
The Program reflects PKSF’s recognition that health is closely linked with income, productivity and household economic security. Illness and high healthcare costs can reduce earning capacity, disrupt livelihoods and erode household assets.
Aligned with PKSF’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030, the Program complements PKSF’s financial and non-financial services delivered through its Partner Organizations (POs), recognizing health as an important foundation for sustainable poverty reduction and productive livelihoods.
Initially, the Program is being implemented through 39 Partner Organizations, covering 454 branches across 52 districts and 197 upazilas, with approximately 680,000 members and their family members expected to benefit. Priority is given to pregnant and lactating women, newborns and children under five, adolescents, women of reproductive age, older persons and persons with disabilities.
The Program combines preventive, promotive and basic curative health and nutrition services with Shurokkha Services (risk coverage), focusing on early identification of health risks, healthy lifestyle practices, counselling, screening, early action and appropriate referral. Services are delivered through Satellite Clinics, Static Clinics, Health Camps and Telemedicine, providing basic healthcare, health screening, specialized outreach services and access to specialist consultation. Referral and follow-up are integrated across the service delivery mechanism to support continuity of care.
Shurokkha Services strengthen the Program’s financial protection component through Maternity Protection, Health Protection, Asset Protection, Loan Protection and Disaster Protection. These services provide defined financial support against specified risks, helping reduce the financial consequences of health and other shocks and protect household assets and livelihoods.
Drawing on PKSF’s established network of Partner Organizations, trained personnel, community engagement, local health facilities and appropriate technology, the Program aims to make healthcare more accessible while strengthening the financial resilience of low-income households. The ‘Preventive Healthcare’ Program represents an important step in PKSF’s evolving development approach, recognizing health as a critical foundation for human capability, productivity, economic security and resilience.