Authors: Moses Onyango Otiangá, Yasin Kuso Ghabon
Abstract: This study examines the determinants of maternal mortality rate in Kenya with a focus on health system variables and socio-economic factors. Using time-series, maternal mortality rate (MMR) per 100,000 live birth was modeled as a function of female literacy, hospital bed capacity per 1,000 persons, and the number of physicians per 1,000 persons. Diagnostic tests including the Jarque–Bera normality test, Breusch–Pagan–Godfrey, heteroskedasticity tests, Breusch–Godfrey serial correlation test and variance inflation factors (VIF) test and further R-squared test, t-statistic and F-statistic tests were deployed to check the robustness of the model. Results from the study indicate that female literacy has a strong negative and statistical significant effect on maternal mortality, this underscores the role of education in improving maternal health outcomes, conversely hospital bed capacity, shows a positive and significant association with maternal mortality, this suggests inefficiencies in resource allocation and utilization and equally, the quality of health infrastructure deployed. The number of physicians per 1,000 is negatively related to maternal mortality rate but with weaker significance. The overall model is significant (F- statistic, p<0.01), explaining approximately 71% of the variation in MMR. Despite this, the specification errors and evidence of heteroskedasticity points out the systemic challenges in health service delivery. Policy recommendations include expanding female education, improving the quality rather than quantity of hospital care, ensuring equitable deployment of health personnel, and strengthening community– facility linkages to reduce first-delay barriers. The findings suggest that increasing health expenditure geared towards increasing female literacy, hospital bed capacity and the number of doctors is not sufficient; efficiency, accountability, and integration of community interventions are critical to achieving sustainable reductions in maternal mortality in Kenya.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17276024
