Gender and health care seeking behavior in Uganda

John Atwebembeire, Makerere University

This study uses the Uganda Demographic Health Survey data and the Uganda National Household Survey publications to investigate the main determinants associated with seeking health care. We find significant differences in health care seeking behavior to be related to age, gender, residence, standards of living and increased levels of education are consistently related with seeking health care from clinics/hospitals and private doctors as compared to self medication, friends, traditional healers indicating that people regard their quality as inferior. The probability to access any type of health care was found to be greater for men than for women. Improving health is contingent upon reducing poverty among a host of other non monetary issues to be worked upon. Reducing poverty through specific targeting of the disadvantaged groups with a pro-poor health system.