Measuring the Value of Insurance and Maternal Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Dandora, Kenya

Residents of Dandora, a sprawling section of Nairobi dominated by a massive garbage dump, contend with high unemployment, food insecurity, violence, poor health, and environmental issues. The Ford Program, in conjunction with local partners and Notre Dame researchers, is working to understand the best way to deliver quality healthcare and health insurance to mothers and children.

This randomized controlled trial will measure the impact of a newly constructed hospital and an insurance program on maternal and child health outcomes as well as measure the demand for insurance and care in the targeted population. The project will employ a baseline survey with a demand elicitation experiment, a rotating panel during the course of the study to monitor maternal and child health outcomes, and an end line. Results are intended to inform policymakers and to encourage evidence-based decision-making that leads to better-designed markets for insurance and care.

Partners: Holy Cross Parish and Visitation Maternity Ward at Brother Andre Medical Center, Dandora; Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA); Strathmore University; Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame 

Additional Researchers: Ethan Lieber, University of Notre Dame; Gilbert Kokwaro and Francis Wafula, Strathmore University; Bethwell Owour, CUEA; Lacey Ahern, Eck Institute for Global Health