Abstract
Secondary State-level data for India show that neither ‘female literacy’ or ‘percentage of births attended by qualified medical professional’ is a significant determinant of maternal mortality when both are included in the regression analysis. However, when one variable is dropped, the other is significant. Moreover, the coefficient of correlation between the two is positive and more than 0.8. If female literacy positively determines ‘percentage of births attended by medical professionals’ then one can conclude that the latter is more a demand constrained phenomenon rather than a supply constrained one. Indeed it would be a great coincidence if the supply of qualified medical professionals is found to be greater in regions where female literacy is higher, since health continues to be a predominantly public subject, especially in rural areas. Two policy implications can follow: a strategy to increase female literacy so as to reduce maternal mortality, or public action to promote deliveries attended by qualified medical personnel.
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