Maternity waiting homes as a costâ effective intervention in rural Liberia

ObjectiveTo analyze the costâ effectiveness of maternity waiting homes (MWHs) in rural Liberia by examining the cost per life saved and economic effect of MWHs on maternal mortality.MethodsA costâ effectiveness analysis was used to evaluate costs and economic effect of MWHs on maternal mortality in rural Liberia to guide future resource allocation. A secondary data analysis was performed based on a prior quasiâ experimental cohort study of 10 rural primary healthcare facilities, five with a MWH and five without a MWH, that took place from October 30, 2010 to February 28, 2015.ResultsCalculations signified a low cost per year of life saved at MWHs in a rural district in Liberia. Total populationâ adjusted number of women’s lives saved over 3Â years was 6.25.ConclusionWhile initial costs were considerable, over a period of 10 or more years MWHs could be a costâ effective and affordable strategy to reduce maternal mortality rates in Liberia. Discussion of the scaling up of MWH interventions for improving maternal outcomes in Liberia and other lowâ and middleâ income countries is justified. Findings can be used to advocate for policy changes to increase the apportionment of resources for building more MWHs in low resource settings.Maternity waiting homes are an affordable and highly costâ effective strategy to decrease maternal mortality in Liberia.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149550/1/ijgo12830.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149550/2/ijgo12830_am.pd