Investing in safe deliveries: correcting misperceived social norms to provide more generous maternity grants in rural Zambia

The project investigates whether community owned informal financial groups, known as savings groups, can give maternity grants to women to help them deliver in health facilities. Though high-quality health facility delivery can be lifesaving, most women in LMICs fail to access it because of financial barriers.

Does correcting people’s beliefs about other people’s willingness to help pregnant women increase willingness to provide maternity grants, and ultimately increase health facility deliveries? 

We measure effects on 1)  facility delivery and 2) amount of maternity grant giving to pregnant women as primary outcomes and pregnancy related savings and expenditure on maternal health, perceived quality of facility delivery, and healthcare utilization as secondary outcomes.