Evaluation of the Impact of the Mother and Infant Health Project on Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Ukraine

Olena Nizalova, Kyiv Economics Institute
Maria Vyshnya, Kyiv Economics Institute

This paper exploits a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of improvement in the quality of prenatal care and labor and delivery services on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in Ukraine. Since basic medical care has been universally available in Ukraine through the Mother and Infant Health Project (MIHP), implementation of evidence-based medical technologies allows us to address quality rather than quantity effects of medical care. Employing program evaluation methods, we find that the administrative units (rayons) participating in MIHP have exhibited larger decline in both maternal and infant morbidity as well as infant mortality compared to the control rayons. Among the infant health characteristics, MIHP impact is most pronounced for postneonatal infant mortality and infant morbidity resulting from deviations during the perinatal period. As for maternal health, MIHP is most effective at combating anemia, maladies of blood circulation and thyroid gland complications. The analysis suggests that the effect seems to be due to early attendance at antenatal clinics, lower percentage of C-sections and greater incidence of normal deliveries.