Taslima Rahman

The slum population, whether slums are legally created or not and whether the dwellers live on the formal sector occupations or not, should get the basic amenities of life, including healthcare, for the benefit of the entire population of cities. The need for formulation of appropriate policy and proper implementation thereof for rapid improvement of health in the cities, especially in the slums of the cities, is urgent. That in turn requires information and evidence about the constraints on both demand and supply sides of healthcare use in the urban slums. The pertinent issue of this study was what are the determinants of low demand for healthcare from the qualified providers in the slums of Dhaka city? The purpose of this study was to address the demand side of the issue using a household survey on slum population in the largest concentration of slums in the country- Dhaka city. The survey assessed the level of demand for health care and access to health care from qualified providers, and identified the determinants of health care seeking behavior. The results of this study will be useful for formulating the appropriate policies to increase the demand for health care as well as access to health care so that use of health care by the slum-dwellers rises to the desired level…