[Comparative analysis of inequalities in the use of antenatal services between 2004 and 2011 in Cameroon].

Maternal mortality in Cameroon is worrying when it is compared to general mortality statistics. The maternal mortality ratio increased from 669 in 2004 against 782 in 2011, an increase of almost 17%. The 2004 and 2011 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) also showed that the systematization of antenatal care consultations and the reduction of disparities in the utilization of prenatal health services have an important role in reducing maternal mortality. This study attempts to understand the dynamics of inequalities linked to the demand for antenatal care as well as its determinants between 2004 and 2011. The mother, child and of the newborn health data from the 2004 DHS and 2011 have been used. The design of these two surveys was an area sampling, the two-stage sampling. The target population for this study was women of reproductive age [15-49 years of age] who had had at least one live birth in the five years preceding the survey. In order to solve the problem, the concentration curve method, a multiple component analysis and a multilevel analysis were used. The study showed that disparities in demand for antenatal services did exist in 2004 and 2011. However, the level of these disparities remained the same during the two reference periods. In addition, the determinants of these disparities are the region of residence, the level of education of the woman and the level of education of the husband, the level of well-being of the woman and the sex of the household head. This study shows that the structure has not changed in terms of factors influencing these disparities but, the way in which this influence is operationalized is different between the year 2004 and the year 2011.