Inequalities in Maternal Healthcare Spending: Evidence from Zambia

Public and overall health spending on institutional delivery services are more egalitarian as policies targeting universal maternal care are being rolled out in Zambia. While the distribution of benefits becomes pro-poor for public spending, the distribution of benefits for overall spending becomes increasingly pro-least-poor over time. Considerable provincial differences persist only in relation to overall spending, while they become smaller for public spending. Further policy action is needed to tackle persisting causes of inequality, especially those related to the distribution of benefits for overall spending.