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Inequity in Formal Health Care Use: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh
Author(s) -
Hamid Syed Abdul,
Ahsan Syed M.,
Begum Afroza,
Asif Chowdhury Abdullah Al
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.3026
Subject(s) - health care , public health , economic growth , private sector , socioeconomics , business , medicine , nursing , economics
This paper analyses inequity in formal health care use in rural Bangladesh using data from a survey conducted of 4010 households drawn from 120 villages. We find that the use of formal health care is incredibly low (40 per cent); about two‐thirds of which is private health care, and only one‐fourth utilises public sector facilities. Inequity favours the better off, although the level of inequity is modest. Prevailing inequity resides mainly in the utilisation of private health care while non‐communicable diseases contribute significantly. Thus, the main public health concern in rural areas of Bangladesh is the low utilisation of formal health care (especially public health care), not inequity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.