Access to health services by informal sector workers in Bangladesh

According to the constitution of Bangladesh, health is a right and, in 2012, initial work towardsuniversal health coverage was marked by introduction of a health-care financing strategy. However,for 2016, Bangladesh’s domestic general government health expenditure was only 0.42% of grossdomestic product, making it one of the lowest-spending countries in the world, with 72% of currenthealth expenditure coming from out-of-pocket spending. One factor that is key to the challenge ofproviding universal health coverage in Bangladesh is the large proportion of the population whowork in the informal sector – an estimated 51.7 million people or 85.1% of the labour force in 2017.Most workers engaged in the informal sector lack job security, social benefits and legal protection.The evidence base on the health needs and health-seeking behaviours of this large population issparse. The government has recognized that increased efforts are needed to ensure that the country’snotable successes in improving maternal, neonatal and child health need to be expanded to coverthe full range of health services to the whole population, and specifically the more marginalized andimpoverished sectors of society. In addition to the universal need to increase funding and to improvethe availability and quality of primary health care, workers in the informal sector need to be targetedthrough an explicit mechanism, with enhanced budgetary allocation to health facilities serving thesecommunities. Importantly, there is a clear need to build an evidence base to inform policies that seek toensure that informal sector workers have greater access to quality health services.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of PDR1-like gene in ginseng subjected to salt and cold stresses or hormonal treatment.

The plant pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters is potentially involved in diverse biological processes. Currently, little is known about their actual physiological functions. A Panax ginseng PDR transporter gene (PgPDR1) was cloned and the cDNA has an open reading frame of 4344 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence contained the characteristic domains of PDR transporters: Walker A, Walker B, and ABC signature. Genomic DNA hybridization analysis indicated that one copy of PgPDR1 gene was present in P. ginseng. Subcellular localization showed that PgPDR1-GFP fusion protein was specifically localized in the cell membrane. Promoter region analysis revealed the presence of cis-acting elements, some of which are putatively involved in response to hormone, light and stress. To understand the functional roles of PgPDR1, we investigated the expression patterns of PgPDR1 in different tissues and under various conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting analysis showed that PgPDR1 was expressed at a high level in the roots and leaves compared to seeds and stems. The expression of PgPDR1 was up-regulated by salicylic acid (SA) or chilling, down-regulated by ABA, and regulated differently at transcript and protein levels by MeJA. These results suggest that PgPDR1 might be involved in responding to environmental stresses and hormones.