Effects of Contraceptive Use, Prenatal Visits, and Facility Delivery on Maternal Mortality in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
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Date
2024-10
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Globally maternal mortality rate has continued to be on a high level compared to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. This is despite several initiatives to tackle the high maternal mortality. These initiatives include but are not limited to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, the millennium development goals (MDGs) which had a goal dedicated to maternal mortality, sustainable development goals (SDGs) to accelerate the gains in MDGs. However, despite the various initiatives by governments to lower maternal deaths, the global mortality rate remains higher than the WHO goal of 70 deaths per 100,000 births as at 1990. As of 2020, the global mortality rate was 223 deaths per 100,000 births. The East African Community (EAC) countries had maternal mortality rates higher than the global average with Kenya recording the highest deaths of 530, Uganda 284 and Tanzania recorded the least mortality rate of 238 per 100,000 births. This is despite developing robust frameworks to improve health outcomes. Although maternal mortality has been on a downward trend in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania since 1990, none of the East African Community countries attained the global maternal mortality rate average and subsequently missed the WHO target of 70 deaths. To reduce the high maternal deaths, the nations have been encouraging the utilization of contraceptives, prenatal care services and facility delivery services. The utilization of services varied in the three countries and so is the rate of reduction of maternal mortality. This study, therefore, sought to analyze how the utilization of these three variables (contraceptive use, prenatal care and delivery at health facility) affects maternal mortality. The study objectives were: to explore the effects of contraceptive prevalence rate on maternal mortality, establish the effect of prenatal visits on maternal mortality and determine the effect of health facility delivery on maternal mortality in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Data was obtained from World Health Organization reports, World Bank reports, and Demographic and Household surveys (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). The panel data obtained between 2000 and 2016 from the three East African countries, was analyzed using Panel Auto-Regressive Distributed lag model. It was established that in the long run prenatal care use and delivery at health facility are important determinants of maternal mortality while contraceptive use did not have an effect on maternal mortality in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Hence for the EAC countries to reduce maternal mortality the governments should build more health infrastructure to enhance timely access. They should further establish comprehensive health programs by incorporating specific programs to tackle maternal mortality and strengthen community outreach services through empowering community health workers.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the Department of Applied Economics in the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Economics (Finance) of Kenyatta University, October 2024.
Supervisor
Julius Korir