title: Institutional delivery in public and private sectors in South Asia: a comparative analysis of prospective data from four demographic surveillance sites.
abstract: Maternity care in South Asia is available in both public and private sectors. Using data from demographic surveillance sites in Bangladesh, Nepal and rural and urban India, we aimed to compare institutional delivery rates and public-private share.
  
  
  
  We used records of maternity care collected in socio-economically disadvantaged communities between 2005 and 2011. Institutional delivery was summarized by four potential determinants: household asset index, maternal schooling, maternal age, and parity. We developed logistic regression models for private sector institutional delivery with these as independent covariates.
  
  
  
  The data described 52 750 deliveries. Institutional delivery proportion varied and there were differences in public-private split. In Bangladesh and urban India, the proportion of deliveries in the private sector increased with wealth, maternal education, and age. The opposite was observed in rural India and Nepal.
  
  
  
  The proportion of institutional delivery increased with economic status and education. The choice of sector is more complex and provision and perceived quality of public sector services is likely to play a role. Choices for safe maternity are influenced by accessibility, quantity and perceived quality of care. Along with data linkage between private and public sectors, increased regulation should be part of the development of the pluralistic healthcare systems that characterize south Asia.
authors.affiliation: SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action), 310, Urban Health Centre, 60 Feet Road, Dharavi, Mumbai, 400 017, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sushmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute for Global Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alcock
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Care Project, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, 122 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Kishwar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Azad
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Care Project, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, 122 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuddus
authors.affiliation: Mother and Infant Research Activities (MIRA), YB Bhavan, Thapathali, GPO Box 921, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Dharma S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Manandhar
authors.affiliation: Mother and Infant Research Activities (MIRA), YB Bhavan, Thapathali, GPO Box 921, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Bhim Prasad
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Ekjut, Plot 556B, Potka, Chakradharpur, West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Nirmala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Ekjut, Plot 556B, Potka, Chakradharpur, West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Shibanand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.affiliation: SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action), 310, Urban Health Centre, 60 Feet Road, Dharavi, Mumbai, 400 017, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Neena Shah
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: More
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute for Global Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saville
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tanja A J
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Houweling
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute for Global Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK. d.osrin@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9691-9684
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osrin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D011247:Pregnancy; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asia; Delivery; Health facilities; Obstetric; Private sector; Public sector