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Towards Achieving the Right to Health:The Case of Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Omar Haider Chowdhury

    (Former Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dhaka)

  • S. R. Osmani

    (Professor of Development of Economics at the University of Ulster, UK.)

Abstract

Bangladesh has made great strides in improving the health of its population, much more than a country at its level of development can be expected to do. Serious problems still remain in reducing child malnutrition and maternal mortality in particular; nonetheless, th e aggregative results achieved in the last three decades are quite impressive. These achievements have certainly have gone a long way towards fulfilling the right to health in Bangladesh. This paper argues, however, that despite overall progress the health sector of Bangladesh suffers from a number of inadequacies that militate against the rights-based approach to health. These include persistent inequities in access to healthcare (including gender inequity, and inequity along the poor versus non-poor divide), lack of meaningful participation of citizens in the running of the health system, and the absence of effective accountability mechanisms through which the providers of healthcare can be held responsible for their actions.

Suggested Citation

  • Omar Haider Chowdhury & S. R. Osmani, 2010. "Towards Achieving the Right to Health:The Case of Bangladesh," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 33(1-2), pages 205-274.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:badest:0495
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Osmani, Siddiq & Sen, Amartya, 2003. "The hidden penalties of gender inequality: fetal origins of ill-health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 105-121, January.
    2. Howard White & Edoardo Masset, 2007. "Assessing interventions to improve child nutrition: a theory-based impact evaluation of the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(5), pages 627-652.
    3. Chaudhury, Nazmul & Hammer, Jeffrey S., 2003. "Ghost doctors - absenteeism in Bangladeshi health facilities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3065, The World Bank.
    4. Elena Glinskaya, 2005. "Education and Health Expenditures in Bangladesh," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 21(1-2), pages 91-120, June.
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    1. repec:plo:pone00:0202879 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Iqbal Anwar & Herfina Y Nababan & Shabnam Mostari & Aminur Rahman & Jahangir A M Khan, 2015. "Trends and Inequities in Use of Maternal Health Care Services in Bangladesh, 1991-2011," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Right to Health; Bangladesh;

    JEL classification:

    • A10 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - General

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