Healthcare at the beginning of life and child survival: Evidence from a cash transfer experiment in Nigeria

Edward N. Okeke and Isa S. Abubakar

Journal of Development Economics, 2020, vol. 143, issue C

Abstract: Households in poor countries are encouraged (and sometimes coerced) to increase investments in formal health care services during pregnancy and childbirth. Is this good policy? The answer to a large extent depends on its effects on child welfare. We study the effects of a cash transfer program in Nigeria in which households were offered a payment of $14 conditioned on uptake of health services. We show that the transfer led to a large increase in uptake and a substantial increase in child survival driven by a decrease in in-utero child deaths. We present evidence suggesting that the key driver is prenatal health investments.

Keywords: Cash transfers; Maternal health services; Child mortality; Developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 I15 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:143:y:2020:i:c:s0304387819307011

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2019.102426

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