Access to Wealth, Regional Variations, and Child Healthcare Utilization in a Developing Country: New Insights From Nigeria

Increasing health issues and rising poverty rates in Nigeria have adversely impacted child health care utilization. This study X‐rays the wealth access and regional variations nexus in child healthcare utilization. The generalized linear model (GLM) approach and the concentration index were adopted, employing data elicited from the Nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS) conducted in 2008 and 2018. The study identified a substantial variation in child healthcare utilization among households with varying wealth access levels, implying that as households' access to wealth increases, inequality in healthcare utilization reduces among children. Regional analysis shows that the northeast and northwest geopolitical zones exhibited a higher prevalence in child healthcare utilization inequality, due to distinct socioeconomic status, cultural, and religious practices. The study therefore recommends that to support and maintain the initiatives for health system reform, a communication plan and an efficient regionally based health management information system must be created. Again, to increase child healthcare accessibility and utilization, such programmes should include a thorough health promotion strategy that raises awareness and provides relevant education to low‐income households.