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International Journal of Health Economics and Management

07-03-2024 | Research article

Women’s empowerment, modern energy, and demand for maternal health services in Benin

Authors: Alastaire Sèna Alinsato, Calixe Bidossessi Alakonon, Nassibou Bassongui

Published in: International Journal of Health Economics and Management

Abstract

One of the major concerns for developing countries is improving the use of health services by the general population, and in particular, maternal and child health services. This concern reflects the Sustainable Development Goals 3, which aim to ensure the health and well-being of all by improving reproductive health, and especially maternal and child health. This study analyses the extent to which modern energies improve women’s empowerment and the demand for maternal health services in a low income country. The empirical estimations were based on the 2017 Benin Demographic Health Survey data. We adopted the trivariate recursive probit modelling to find out the extent to which modern energies improve women’s empowerment and the demand for maternal health services. The results revealed that the demand for maternal health services was significantly and positively associated with women’s empowerment. Notably, being an empowered woman (social independence and decision-making) increases the chance of completing antenatal care visits. We further highlighted the importance of women’s wealth in accessing maternal health services. To address maternal mortality in sub-Saharan African countries, policymakers should improve women’s social independence, decision making power and attitude to violence by promoting access to modern energies such as electricity, Liquefied petroleum gas, and bio gas.

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From the microeconomic perspective, the demand for health services refers to the level of use at which the perceived marginal health benefits of care equal the marginal cost of accessing care (Santana et al., 2021).

Modern energies are those with higher content and heating value than traditional biomass energy, such as electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and biogas (Waston et al. 2012).

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Title: Women’s empowerment, modern energy, and demand for maternal health services in Benin
Authors: Alastaire Sèna Alinsato
Calixe Bidossessi Alakonon
Nassibou Bassongui
Publication date: 07-03-2024
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: International Journal of Health Economics and Management
Print ISSN: 2199-9023
Electronic ISSN: 2199-9031
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-024-09368-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Women’s empowerment, modern energy, and demand for maternal health services in Benin

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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