Factors That Affect Maternal Mortality in Rwanda: A Comparative Study with India and Bangladesh

Abstract

Healthcare sector is one of the most pivotal pillars of the administrative setup of a country. It addresses one of the most important dilemmas that countries have to face: provision of quality healthcare to public in affordable prices. Africa lags behind in many health indicators. One of the contemporary health issues faced by countries, especially for those in sub-Sahara countries, is maternal mortality rate (MMR). It has had a significant part to play in the social conditions of the population and needs immediate attention. In spite of many years of civil war and the terrible genocide in the mid-1990s, as of late, Rwanda is showing signs of improvement in healthcare sector. This research is aimed at studying the current state of maternal mortality rate in Rwanda and the factors behind its performance, in a comparative study with India and Bangladesh for a cross-section of time mainly between 1990 and 2015. After a literature review, pivotal indicators that affect healthcare are shortlisted and a comparative analysis of the three countries is made on the basis of these indicators. A regression is run between historical MMR data and these indicators. A directly significant relationship is found between MMR and healthcare expenditure per capita and government commitment to health, closely followed by female literacy and healthcare infrastructure.