THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MATERNAL HEALTH NEXUS: EVIDENCE FROM LOWER-MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES

Abstract

The effect of economic development on maternal health remains insufficiently explored in lower-middle-income countries despite persistent high maternal mortality rates in these regions. While economic growth is often expected to improve health outcomes through improved healthcare access, infrastructure development, and higher living standards, empirical evidence on this relationship remains limited. Therefore, this study examined the effect of economic development on maternal health outcomes in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). The study utilized panel data from 51 LMICs, covering the period from 2000 to 2024. Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs) and Driscoll-Kraay estimation techniques were employed to ensure robust estimation in the presence of heteroskedasticity, serial correlation, and cross-sectional dependence. The results revealed that economic development has a consistently negative and highly significant effect on maternal mortality across lower-middle-income countries. The study concludes that economic development plays a crucial role in improving maternal health outcomes. Consequently, governments should promote sustained and inclusive economic growth by encouraging productive investment, strengthening healthcare financing, improving social infrastructure, and implementing policies that expand access to quality maternal healthcare services to reduce maternal mortality.