In an effort to safeguard the health of the ultra-poor, BRAC and Pragati Life Insurance Limited are set to pilot a new health and life insurance programme called 'Nirapotta'. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today (Sunday, 8 October) at BRAC Centre, formalising this partnership.

Palash K Das, Director, Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) programme, representing BRAC,  while Md. Jalalul Azim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pragati Life Insurance Limited, represented their organisation during the signing of the agreement.

Approximately 30,000 ultra-poor women, who are participants of BRAC UPG programme, along with their families living in Kishoreganj, Jhalakathi, Nilphamari, and under the Dhaka and Chattogram City Corporations, will access to the one-year 'Nirapotta' health and life insurance. The insurance covers various health services, including doctor's consultations, hospitalisation, postnatal care, a variety of lab tests, as well as coverage for natural and accidental deaths.

Md. Jalalul Azim stated, “Pragati Life Insurance Limited collaborates with various oragnisations to offer unconventional insurance solutions and estend insurance coverage to the uninsured community. The insurance programme that we are going to pilot as part of this partnership is a novel product.”

Palash K Das commented, “One of our key objectives in piloting this insurance programme is to ease the healthcare expenses burdening the ultra-poor population. We are optimistic that the insights gained from this initiative will be contribute to the development of an effective health and life insurance concept in the future. Furthermore, it will also connect more people to health services which will, in turn, play a role in poverty reduction in Bangladesh.”