Can Conditional Cash Transfers Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes? Unveiling Evidence from Assam's Tea Garden Areas Wage Compensation Scheme

Pallabi Gogoi, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Despite the efforts through conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana and others towards improving the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) outcomes, tea garden communities in Assam, a North East Indian state, remain particularly vulnerable, facing significant health disparities. Given the critical importance of adequate physical and mental rest during pregnancy and early motherhood for better MCH outcomes, the Government of Assam has been implementing "Wage Compensation Scheme for Pregnant Women of Tea Garden Areas of Assam (WCS)" since 2018. Five years on, it is crucial to assess the impact of the scheme on healthcare service uptake and nutritional outcomes among pregnant and lactating women in Assam. Using primary data from 500 households, the study employs propensity score matching to assess WCS's effects on several health and nutritional indicators. The findings reveal significant positive impacts of WCS on the uptake of antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care, and access to skilled birth attendants, along with improvements in birth weight, exclusive breastfeeding, stunting, and dietary diversity. These findings have critical policy implications, suggesting that replicating such targeted CCT interventions in other marginalized sections could significantly enhance MCH outcomes, reduce health disparities, and contribute to broader public health objectives.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

See extended abstract.