Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Maternity Care in Rural Bangladesh: A Public – Private Comparison

Moshiur Rahman, Population Council
Ubaidur Rob, Population Council

This paper examined out-of-pocket expenses incurred by women for availing maternal health care services at public and private health facilities. The survey was conducted in 2010 where 3,300 women, who had given birth in the previous 12 months during data collection period, were interviewed. Information on costs incurred to receive antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services were collected. Findings reveal that the majority of women reported paying out-of-pocket expenses for availing maternal health care services both at public and private health facilities. Out-of-pocket expenses include registration, consultation, laboratory examination, medicine, equipments, transportation and other associated costs incurred for receiving maternity care services. On average, women paid US$3.6 out-of-pocket expenses when receiving antenatal care at public health facilities and US$12.4 at private health facilities. Similarly, women expensed 1.5 times more for normal delivery (US$42.3) and 1.4 times more for cesarean delivery (US$136.2) at private health facilities compared to public health facilities.