Demand for reproductive health vouchers and utilization: a case study of output based approach in Kilifi Kenya
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Date
2017Author
Mwangangi, Mary N.
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Demand side financing initiatives are different forms of financing health services that aim to
minimize financial obstacles to accessing health care and also decrease inequities by ensuring
that services are made affordable to poor and underserved populations through provision of
subsidies. . The voucher system is based on the basic demand theory of economics and seeks to
aid in improving health outcomes. Voucher programs are designed to provide patients with the
economic power to demand for health care of high quality, to enable high-risk or low-income
individuals be able to access acute services, to amplify the rates of consumption of the general
population, and to manage unit costs.
The voucher program has been implemented in Kenya since the year 2006 and was launched in
Kilifi in the year 2011. Despite the fact that many vouchers are purchased, a number of women
fail to use them to access services in these accredited facilities. This study seeks to establish why
this trend has been observed particularly in the county of Kilifi and the factors that contribute to
low utilization of the vouchers. The objective of the research was to come up with a detailed
analysis of how demand and utilization of RH-OBA vouchers is shaped by individual
characteristics and those of the household.
The study used both secondary and primary data. Analysis of the data was done using logistic
regression to measure the relationship between the dependent variable and the predictor
variables. The statistical test of significance for the regression coefficients (β’s) was done using
the Wald chi-square test. The variables used were age, education, occupation, marital status and
number of births.
Key findings indicate that no education, primary education and unemployment were found to
have a relationship with demand for RH-OBA health vouchers. The findings from the utilization
model suggested that only age, age squared, single and married were found to be statistically
significant. Further studies and analysis may be needed to establish other factors that affect the
decision to utilize health services other than the variables analysed.
Having a voucher or insurance card may not guarantee improved utilization of health care and
therefore other efforts such as investing in infrastructure, human resources, commodities and
medical supplies, need to be put in place to ensure that people are able to access and utilize
services of high quality. This will encourage service utilization at the facility level.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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