When low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) implement large-scale, government-led cash transfer programs, healthcare outcomes improve significantly for women and children, according to a new study led by scholars at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
The authors examined data regarding over 2 million live births and nearly 1 million children under age five in 37 LMICs between 2000 and 2019. During this time period, 20 of these countries implemented large-scale cash transfer programs.
In their analysis, the authors found that in countries with cash transfer programs, women were more likely to access and use birth control, plan their pregnancies as they wished, and receive healthcare earlier in their pregnancies. Furthermore, cash transfer programs were also associated with more babies being born in healthcare facilities and more births attended by trained healthcare workers. Babies in countries with cash transfer programs were also more likely to be fed only breast milk, while children were more likely to get enough healthy food and be vaccinated against measles.
The findings have implications for ongoing debates on cash transfers and other economic support programs, such as the United States’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“As many countries consider the future of their cash transfer programs — including approaches such as basic or guaranteed incomes — this research highlights the broad health benefits these programs can deliver,” said lead author Aaron Richterman, assistant professor of infectious disease at the University of Pennsylvania.