The Situation of Equity in Maternal Health in Bangladesh

Abstract

Mohammed Moshiur Rahaman, Md. Mazedul Haque, Mohammed Muslim Uddin, Md. Erfan Shihab, M. Sazzad Hossen Khan

Background: To assess the equity in maternal health services in Bangladesh.

Methods: The report was prepared primarily relying on secondary available data, in particular the BDHS report from 2007 to 2014. Based on key identified indicators, a survey was conducted with a short set of a questionnaire among sample size 200.

Results: 50% of women did get antenatal care from any trained/untrained health worker, 35% of pregnant women did not get assistance from any qualified health worker and another 15% get assistance from untrained birth attendance, 80% of mother did not have enough education to know or concern about what should they during delivery or after delivery or what kind of complications can be risen, 25% of mother received antenatal care from the private sector after delivery, 70% of mother did not receive any post-natal check-up after delivery.

Conclusion: Inequity in maternal health in Bangladesh is visible which is aligned with national delivery care, antenatal care, and postnatal care. Inequity problems mostly in poor families. Antenatal care from the private sector after delivery indicates that higher treatment costs in the private sector pushed them under the poverty line.

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