Does bribery increase maternal mortality? Evidence from 135 Sub-Saharan African regions

About 295,000 women died globally during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017. Two-thirds of these deaths occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. By linking individual and regional data from 135 regions in 17 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2002-2018 this study explores how bribery a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLOS global public health 2023, Vol.3 (12), p.e0000847
Main Authors: Toffolutti, Veronica, Paglino, Eugenio, Kentikelenis, Alexandros, Mencarini, Letizia, Aassve, Arnstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology and Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
People and Places
Research and Analysis Methods
Social Sciences
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Summary:About 295,000 women died globally during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017. Two-thirds of these deaths occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. By linking individual and regional data from 135 regions in 17 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2002-2018 this study explores how bribery affects maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our results show that the percentage of people who had first-hand experience in bribery is significantly and positively associated with pregnancy related deaths. We find that a 10 p.p. increase in the prevalence of bribery is associated with up to 41 [95% CI: 10-73] additional deaths for every 1,000 pregnancy-related deaths. However, the healthcare system quality appears to be an important moderator. To reduce maternal mortality, policy makers should not only increase investments in healthcare, they need also to implement measures to combat corruption.
ISSN:2767-3375
2767-3375
DOI:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000847