Trends and Determinants of Maternal Health Indicators in Menya Governorate, Egypt

Noha El- Ghazaly, El- Zanaty & Associates
Dominique Meekers, Tulane University

Despite major progress in maternal health care in Egypt, rural regions in Upper Egypt have lagged behind. Using panel data, we examine trends in maternal health care in this region to assess if this gap is closing. We also analyze determinants of maternal health to identify obstacles to further improvement. We use data from two waves of a longitudinal survey in Menya to create a child-file with data on the 2,347 births to panelists in 1999-2005. Trend analyses show substantial, but irregular, progress in antenatal care, delivery assistance, and postnatal care for the mother. Analyses of the determinants of maternal health care indicate that factors such as the mother’s education and the child’s birth order play an important role, but that these factors cannot explain the observed trends. Hence, it is likely that external factors such as maternal health programs contributed to the positive trends.