Subsidized Mobile Health for Maternal and Newborn Health in Kenya

Study Context

Maternal and newborn mortality rates remain high in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2015, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Kenya was 510 deaths per 100,000 live births, much higher than the rate of 242 deaths per 100,000 live births on average in LMICs. Neonatal mortality rates in Kenya are also high, with an estimated 21 deaths per 1,000 births in 2019 compared to the global average of 17 deaths. High out-of-pocket payments, poor quality health services, limited access to health professionals and obstetric care, and few financial incentives for expectant women and healthcare providers all contribute to these high rates. This study assesses the impact of a subsidized mobile health intervention on maternal and newborn health in Kenya’s Kisumu and Kakamega counties, which face high maternal mortality rates.

Study Design

This pilot study will sample 10,000 of the 17,500 women from Kisumu and Kakamega counties who enrolled in a mobile health intervention from November 2019 to October 2022. The health intervention includes a financial inclusion program which subsidizes pregnant women’s access to quality healthcare services throughout their pregnancy and postpartum. The research team will evaluate the program’s impact by comparing the health outcomes of enrolled women and newborns against 1) 7,500 women and newborns from Kisumu and Kakamega counties who were not eligible for the program, and 2) 10,000 women and newborns from fifteen neighboring health facilities in Bungoma County and Siaya County who did not have access to the program. In each of these groups, the researchers will also compare data on maternal and newborn health outcomes before and after the program’s implementation in 2018.

Results and Policy Lessons

Results forthcoming.