https://academic.oup.com/heapol/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/heapol/czy077/5107204
User fee reduction and elimination policies have been extensively researched, but there is little rigorous evidence of their lasting effects on service use. The article evaluates the lasting effects of the partial reduction and complete elimination of user fees on the use of the service. The study was carried out in four Sahel districts in Burkina Faso, where the national policy to reduce user fees (SONU) launched in 2007 (80% reduction in user fees) coexisted with a pilot project to abolish 2008. L’The study provides further evidence that user fee reduction and elimination policies are effective in increasing service utilization over the long term. However, they are not enough on their own to achieve complete coverage. This requires the implementation of additional measures, targeting geographical barriers and knowledge gaps for example, in order to achieve the goal of all women giving birth in the presence of qualified personnel.
