Unlocking Health Potential: Effects of Free Maternal and Child Health Program

We examine the health effects of the free maternal and child health program (FMCHP) in Nigeria. We leverage variation across states and over time in exposure to the policy in a difference-in-differences (DID) framework. We find that exposure to policy leads to a decline in under-five mortality and children weigh more at birth. We also show that children born after the policy is rolled out are more likely to be delivered at a health facility with assistance from health personnel. Our results are robust to a host of empirical checks and are more pronounced for relatively disadvantaged subpopulations. Having access to healthcare facilities moderates improvement in health outcomes. We highlight increased child immunization, better child nutrition, increased post-natal health checks, improved trust in healthcare providers, and women empowerment as the most likely mechanisms that drive improved health outcomes. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that FMCHP may have averted 405,425 deaths for children under the age of five. Our findings suggest that in areas with low healthcare use improving access to institutional healthcare during pregnancy can lead to better maternal and child health outcomes.