Performance-based Incentive for Improving Quality Maternal Health Care Services in Bangladesh

Despite sincere efforts by the government and private sector, maternal health outcomes in Bangladesh are not satisfactory. The current maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 194 per 100,000 live births, which must be reduced to 143 by 2015 to attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 (NIPORT, MEASURE Evaluation & ICDDR,B, 2011). More worryingly is the low utilization of maternal health services from facilities. About 77 percent of deliveries occur at home, where traditional birth attendants with inadequate knowledge and skills are the primary source of service providers (NIPORT et al., 2011). Half of the pregnant women receive antenatal care (ANC) from any medically trained providers, only one in four women attain the four recommended ANC visits and one-third of women receive postnatal care (PNC) within 48 hours of delivery (NIPORT et al., 2011).