An Institutional Perspective on Provision of Primary Health Care in India and Bangladesh

Primary health care is a public sector responsibility in most countries, and it is a challenging task for any government to ensure its universal access and good quality. The problems arise not only due to lack of financial resources but also poor organization and management at different levels of service delivery. This volume, taking examples from India and Bangladesh, investigates the role of the central government in delegating the responsibility of primary health care services to local-level bureaucracy and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It also emphasizes the importance of social accountability/client participation in improving the quality of care in which both India and Bangladesh have poor records.

Alia Ahmad worked as associate professor at the department of economics at the University of Lund in Sweden, teaching courses on development economics, gender studies, economic growth in South Asia, and water/sanitation/environment in developing countries. She has written books on agriculture and population growth in Bangladesh and recently, edited a book on community management of inland fisheries in Bangladesh and India. N. Lalitha is a professor of economics at Gujarat Institute of Development Research in Ahmeda-bad, Gujarat. She has published in peer-reviewed journals on issues relating to access to medicines and agri-biotechnology. She has coedited a book on intellectual property, pharmaceuticals, and public health.