M Aikins1, R Aryeetey1, P Dako-Gyeke1, P B Adongo1, L McGough1.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Financial and physical barriers are known to limit access to maternal health services in developing countries. These limitations are often compounded by the low socio-economic status of women. This study examined socio-economic differences in health services cost incurred by pregnant women.
METHODS: A cross-sectional cost survey of 300 women who had delivered a live birth in the last 12 months was undertaken.
RESULTS: Majority of the women were aged between 20 and 39 years. About 63% of the women claimed they were registrants of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, only 64% of them provided valid NHIS identification cards. There were relatively more insured women in the rich quintiles (44%) compared with insured women in the poor quintiles (33%). Generally, women who were in the rich quintile incurred the highest average medical and non-medical costs, spent the highest time prior to service provision and lost the highest average incomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Women socio-economic differences play a critical role in access to health services. We recommend that awareness campaigns on the NHIS must be intensified. The Ghana Health Services through its Community-based Health Planning Service should carefully structure its home visits to cover education on pregnancy-related health services. © Crown copyright 2014.
BACKGROUND: Financial and physical barriers are known to limit access to maternal health services in developing countries. These limitations are often compounded by the low socio-economic status of women. This study examined socio-economic differences in health services cost incurred by pregnant women.
METHODS: A cross-sectional cost survey of 300 women who had delivered a live birth in the last 12 months was undertaken.
RESULTS: Majority of the women were aged between 20 and 39 years. About 63% of the women claimed they were registrants of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, only 64% of them provided valid NHIS identification cards. There were relatively more insured women in the rich quintiles (44%) compared with insured women in the poor quintiles (33%). Generally, women who were in the rich quintile incurred the highest average medical and non-medical costs, spent the highest time prior to service provision and lost the highest average incomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Women socio-economic differences play a critical role in access to health services. We recommend that awareness campaigns on the NHIS must be intensified. The Ghana Health Services through its Community-based Health Planning Service should carefully structure its home visits to cover education on pregnancy-related health services. © Crown copyright 2014.
Entities:
Keywords:
economics; health services; public health
Mesh：
Year: 2014
PMID： 25281598 DOI： 10.1093/pubmed/fdu072
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Public Health (Oxf) ISSN： 1741-3842 Impact factor: 2.341