AFRO-NETS> The Lancet: Inequities among the very poor

[Claudio Schuftan <aviva@netnam.vn>]

The Lancet: Inequities among the very poor
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Inequities among the very poor: health care for children in rural 
southern Tanzania.

The main difference between the poorest children and those who are 
better off is not in the likelihood of falling ill, but in the prob-
ability of obtaining suitable treatment once ill.

Little is known about socioeconomic inequities and health in African 
countries. Joanna Armstrong Schellenberg and colleagues did a base-
line household survey to identify inequities in health care by sex 
and socioeconomic status for children living in a poor rural area of 
Tanzania. Their findings showed that wealthier families were more 
likely to seek medical attention for their sick children, and that 
these families were more aware of health danger signs than poorer 
families. In a Commentary, Davidson Gwatkin notes that the authors' 
straightforward analysis shows that even in seemingly homogeneous 
poor communities, significant social disparities exist.

Unravelling health inequalities in Tanzania

Joanna Armstrong Schellenberg, Cesar G Victora, Adiel Mushi, Don de 
Savigny, David Schellenberg, Hassan Mshinda
The Lancet - Volume 361, Number 9357 - 15 February 2003

http://image.thelancet.com/extras/02art2280web.pdf

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