Weak governance poses an immense challenge to the delivery of healthcare services in poor regions. Understanding the reasons opens up a range of questions and challenges. In one of our projects, we are systematically analyzing an extensive data set of infant mortality declines covering more than 60 countries over 25 years to identify political incentives that motivate governments to improve infant and maternal health outcomes. Employing some of the information gathered through this study, we are also working in rural Guatemala to understand the impacts of weak rural governance on maternal health, and the impact that a group of local, NGO-trained community health promoters seeking to provide health education and resources has on underserved communities.

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Beatriz Magaloni