Navigating the complexities of healthcare costs in Bangladesh: A closer look at environmental quality, economic growth, energy use, industrialization, urbanization, and forest area

Bangladesh is grappling with the challenge of balancing public health with pollution reduction. The current research seeks to analyze the relationships between ecological indicators and health expenditure and to provide policy suggestions to enhance environmental conditions and minimize healthcare costs. The investigation explored various elements, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, gross domestic product (GDP), the use of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, industrialization, urbanization, and forest areas. The dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) approach was used to explore time series data from 2000 to 2022, and the results revealed that every 1 % increase in CO₂, GDP, industrialization, urbanization, and consumption of fossil fuels increased long-term health expenditures by 1.45 %, 0.38 %, 1.39 %, 0.91 %, and 1.04 %, respectively. Instead, a 1 % expansion in forest area and renewable energy use would reduce health expenditures by 1.91 % and 0.48 %, respectively. To test the robustness of the model, canonical cointegrating regression (CCR) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) estimation techniques were incorporated. The findings offer policy recommendations for Bangladesh to reduce pollution and ensure the sustainability of the environment and healthcare facilities. These outcomes are valuable for generating a preventive health plan to combat the growing health effects of environmental pollution in Bangladesh.