BANGLADESH EQUITY GAINS IN HEALTH

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BANGLADESHEQUITY GAINS IN HEALTH

• Mushtaque Chowdhury, PhD
• Deputy Executive Director, BRAC
• Dean, James P. Grant School of Public Health,
  BRAC University

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Outline

• Recent changes in Bangladeshs development
  indicators
• An analysis of gains in equity in health
• Examination of reasons for the gains
• Role of NGOs, particularly BRAC (film)

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Bangladesh
Recent Developments
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GDP per Capita in Bangladesh and Selected Other
Countries
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Bangladesh Change in Social Indicators
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Total Fertility Rate
1970
2003
6.3
3.0
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Life Expectancy at Birth (years) 1970 20
02Total 44.2 61.0Female 43.5 61.5Male 45.
0 60.7F/M 0.97 1.02Source UNDP (2005)
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Bangladesh Public Health Miracles (or near
miracles)

• Oral rehydration for diarrhea
• Family planning
• Immunizations
• Drinking water
• Equity gains in health

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Equity Gains

• Who gained most?
• Poor
• Female

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Fig. 1 Shortfall in Equity by SES During
1982-96, Matlab, Bangladesh (1-4 year mortality
rates compared to Japanese)
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Fig. 2 Shortfall in Equity by Gender During
1982-96, Matlab, Bangladesh (1-4 year mortality
rates compared to Japanese)
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Fig. 3 Child Survival by BRAC Membership, Matlab
1993-1996
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Why This Gain?

• Effects of the War of Liberation
• Increased national commitment
• Improved access to basic education for
  marginalized groups through affirmative actions
• Flourishing private sector
• Access to micro-credit for women
• Burgeoning NGO sector

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BRAC

• A national NGO
• Set up in February 1972
• Goals
• Poverty alleviation
• Empowerment of the poor, women and other
  marginalized groups

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Thank you and Enjoy the Film!