Impact of Ghana's fee exemption policy on maternal health service utilisation: an inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis of pooled national data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fee exemption policies are key strategies for reducing the barriers to accessing maternal health services and improving maternal and child health outcomes. This study used pooled national data to determine the impact of Ghana's user fee exemption policy on maternal health service utilisation since it was implemented in 2008.

Methods

Using four rounds of cross-sectional data from national surveys on women with live births, we conducted an inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis to evaluate the causal effects of Ghana's user fee exemption policy intervention on the timing of first antenatal care (ANC) visit, completion of four or more ANC visits and facility-based delivery as indicators of maternal health service utilisation.

Results

The average t

SUBMITTER: Osei KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11843519 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature