Health insurance coverage and access to skilled birth attendance in Togo

To examine the effect of the newly introduced national health insurance plan on access to skilled birth attendance (SBA).

The present secondary analysis used data from the 2014 Togo Demographic and Health Survey. The study sample comprised women aged 15-49 years who had at least one delivery in the 5 years preceding the survey. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted.

The adjusted sample included 4826 women. Overall, 195 (4.0%) of 4826 pregnant women had health insurance. The coverage rate varied by wealth, with poor women having the lowest coverage rate (22/931 [1.1%]). Approximately one-third of the women had no SBA at delivery. Women with health insurance were almost three times as likely to be assisted by skilled healthcare personnel at delivery as were those without health insurance (adjusted odds ratio 2.74, 95% confidence interval 1.63-4.59). Other factors associated with SBA included education, household wealth, and age.

The study highlights the positive impact health insurance coverage could have on access to SBA and provides evidence that SBA use could be improved through improved access to health insurance. An accessible health insurance scheme will offer a pathway to achieving health equity and Sustainable Development Goal 3 in Togo.