Does Inequity Exist in Health Care Use? Evidence from Rural Bangladesh
28 Pages Posted: 5 Jul 2013
Date Written: July 3, 2013
Abstract
This paper analyzes inequity in health care use in rural Bangladesh using data from a survey conducted by Microinsurance Research Unit (MRU) of the Institute of Microfinance (InM) of about 4,000 households drawn from 120 villages. The study focuses on formal health care use over the 12 months preceding the survey. We used "need standardized" approach and "decomposition analysis" for measuring inequity. The paper finds that the use of formal health care is incredibly low (40%). Inequity in formal health care use favors the better-off although the level of inequity is not sizable. Inequity prevails in gender and age groups to some extent. NCDs is the main contributor amongst the need variables and education of the household head amongst the non-need variables. Obviously, the main concern in rural Bangladesh is the low use of formal health care, not inequity; hence the country needs to innovate upon means of enabling access to formal health care use.
Keywords: Inequity, pro-poor, pro-rich, decomposition analysis, need standardized approach, Bangladesh
JEL Classification: I11, I14, I18, G28
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation