Health Needs and Healthcare Seeking Behaviour of Street-Dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Summary

This article is published in the journal Health Policy and Planning and is free to read online.

The study objective was to ascertain the extent to which the need for primary health care services among street-dwellers is being met through existing facilities. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhaka city over a 12-month period from June 2007 to May 2008. Data for the study were collected through a community survey and exit interviews. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done. The street-dwellers are extremely vulnerable in terms of their health needs and health-care-seeking behaviours. There is no health service delivery mechanism targeting this marginalized group of people. Although the health, nutrition and population sector programme of Bangladesh designed programmes to ensure equitable essential services to all, this marginalized group of people was not targeted. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and private sectors should, thus, should focus future programmes to meet the needs of this extremely vulnerable group. Mobile and static clinics at night for street-dwellers may be potential programmes. Action research to assess the effectiveness of programmes is essential before large-scale implementation.