Domestic General Government Health Expenditure (DGGHE) per capita on Maternal Mortality Rate Reduction; Financial Budgetary Projections in Sub-Sahara Africa

Abstract

Background: The high maternal mortality rate (MMR) in many Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries reflects inadequate health budgets,  especially the annual domestic general government health expenditure (DGGHE). The yearly DGGHE does not ensure access to high- quality healthcare services and development in SSA.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of domestic general government health expenditure (DGGHE) per  capita on the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and also to project the expected DGGHE per capita, along with the annual financial  implications necessary to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 2044, benchmarked against the average statistics from Seychelles  for the year 2020-2022.

Method: This study is a quantitative analysis based on World Bank data covering 22 years of DGGHE per capita,  maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births for 48 sub-Saharan African countries accessible via:- https://databank.worldbank.org/ source/world-development-indicators. We used Seychelles’ outstanding performance as a benchmark for the other SSA countries, with a  cumulative DGGHE per capital of 9,685.55 from 2000 to 2022 and a cumulative MMR of 310 per 2,200,000 live births over the same of 22  years period. . The analysis of the effect of DGGHE per capita on MMR was conducted using a regression model.

Results: DGGHE per  capita has a significant impact on maternal mortality rate in sub-Sahara Africa.

Conclusion: Through a focused governance system, SSA  countries are encouraged to yearly increase their DGGHE per capita in line with the budget projections of the study for 2044, aimed at  reducing the high MMR. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2024; 38(4): 00-00]