EFFECT OF INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY ON MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the influence of institutional quality on maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria between 1978 and 2023. The generalised method of moments (GMM) is used in this study. The study employs two institutional quality measures (democracy and corruption) and four maternal and child health measures (infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, contraceptive prevalence, and the number of neonatal deaths) to determine the specific role of institutional quality in producing maternal and child health outcomes in the country. A correlation matrix was used to examine the association between the research variables. Regression analysis was used to determine the functional relationship between institutional quality and maternal and child health outcomes. The results showed that institutional quality significantly influenced maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria. The study concluded that the quality of institutions influences healthcare delivery in the country and recommended an improvement in the awareness of the institutional quality-healthcare delivery nexus in the country. The Nigerian government should establish effective mechanisms to support public health campaigns, thereby enhancing awareness of the connections between corruption and the poor maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria. This study is the first to emphatically examine the influence of institutional quality on the maternal and child health outcomes nexus in Nigeria, using different measures of institutional quality and health outcomes.