Abstract
BackgroundIndia aims to achieve universal access to institutional delivery. We undertook this study to estimate the universality of institutional delivery care for pregnant women in Haryana state in India. To assess the coverage of institutional delivery, we analyze service coverage (coverage of public sector institutional delivery), population coverage (coverage among different districts and wealth quintiles of the population) and financial risk protection (catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment as a result of out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery).MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data collected from a randomly selected sample of 12,191 women who had delivered a child in the last one year from the date of data collection in Haryana state. Five indicators were calculated to evaluate coverage and financial risk protection for institutional delivery—proportion of public sector deliveries, out-of-pocket expenditure, percentage of women who incurred no expenses, prevalence of catastrophic expenditure for institutional delivery and incidence of impoverishment due to out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery. These indicators were calculated for the public and private sectors for 5 wealth quintiles and 21 districts of the state.ResultsThe coverage of institutional delivery in Haryana state was 82%, of which 65% took place in public sector facilities. Approximately 63% of the women reported no expenditure on delivery in the public sector. The mean out-of-pocket expenditures for delivery in the public and private sectors in Haryana were INR 771 (USD 14.2) and INR 12,479 (USD 229), respectively, which were catastrophic for 1.6% and 22% of households, respectively.ConclusionOur findings suggest that there is considerably high coverage of institutional delivery care in Haryana state, with significant financial risk protection in the public sector. However, coverage and financial risk protection for institutional delivery vary substantially across districts and among different socio-economic groups and must be strengthened. The success of the public sector in providing high coverage and financial risk protection in maternal health provides encouragement for the role that the public sector can play in universalizing health care.
Highlights
India has witnessed a significant reduction in its maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 437 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 140 per 100,000 live births in 2015 [1]
63% of the women reported no expenditure on delivery in the public sector
Our findings suggest that there is considerably high coverage of institutional delivery care in Haryana state, with significant financial risk protection in the public sector
Summary
India has witnessed a significant reduction in its maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 437 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 140 per 100,000 live births in 2015 [1]. Achieving universal access to institutional delivery has been recognized as a major strategy for improving maternal survival. I.e. utilization of services for institutional delivery during the last decade, social, physical, cultural and financial barriers to accessing health care exist. An analysis of the District Level Household Survey (DLHS) reported that 48% of deliveries were unsafe in the absence of any medical supervision [10]. Those delivering in private facilities, undergoing Caesarean sections, and having higher educational and socio-economic status were more likely to incur high OOP expenses [10, 11]. To assess the coverage of institutional delivery, we analyze service coverage (coverage of public sector institutional delivery), population coverage (coverage among different districts and wealth quintiles of the population) and financial risk protection (catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment as a result of out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery).
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