Abstract:
This quantitative study using panel data evaluated the effectiveness of free interventions on utilization of anti-malaria services in Niger State, Nigeria. The analysis was done at health facility levels and the unit of analysis was facility-month. Health facilities were assigned into two groups; one group that received free anti-malaria interventions termed "treatment" group and those that did not receive treatment termed as “control” group. Across all four dependent variables, results of the difference-in-difference regression estimation shows a consistent trend that explains upward increases in utilization with a rise in the number of free interventions. For one of the dependent variables "overall utilization of anti-malaria services" there were increases in utilization by 12.6 cases for the third intervention (Parasite based diagnosis of malaria) alone. The increase was 27.9 cases for two free interventions (Case management of malaria and Prevention of malaria in pregnancy) implemented together and for the three free interventions together, the effects were even higher than when two were implemented together; utilization went up by 35.7 cases . This trend is same for the other three dependent variables.
