TRENDS OF SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN CHILD AND MOTHER’S HEALTH INDICATORS IN BANGLADESH

Inequality in child and mothers health indicators among socioeconomic classes is one of the main obstacles to improve the health system and attaining the third sustainable development goal in Bangladesh. Consequently, it is essential to know and analyze the trends of inequality for the government and planner. This study attempts to measure the socioeconomic inequality in five children and mothers health indicators using five round Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys data between the years 2004-2017. Mainly, the concentration index, slope, relative and Kunst-Mackenbach index were applied to quantify the health inequalities with 95% confidence interval and measure the trends over the study periods. The investigations revealed the persistent and inconsistent pattern of inequality in under-five child mortality and unvaccinated children. Antenatal care, caesarean section rate was higher among the rich people compared to the poor. The contraception use rate was higher among rich before 2011, and then it became higher among the poor. However, the decreasing trends of inequality in these indicators remained consistent in the study years. Although inequalities were diminished over time, however, inconsistencies have been noticed. Therefore, interventions are needed to shrink the gap consistently among the socioeconomic classes and ensure equal health facilities for all.