Economic Effects of Dietary Supplements on Maternal Anaemic Disorder in Nigeria

Anaemia remains a leading contributor to the high mortality rate among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. This undermines progress towards the United Nations development goal of reducing maternal mortality by 2030, despite substantial public expenditure on the health sector. This study examines the economic effects of dietary supplements on maternal anaemic disorders in Nigeria. The study uses a probit model estimated through the maximum likelihood technique and is based on data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The findings reveal that dietary supplements have a statistically insignificant effect on maternal anaemia, although the direction of the effect indicates a reduction in the likelihood of anaemia among mothers who use dietary supplements. Specifically, the probability that dietary supplements reduce maternal anaemic disorder is approximately 0.5% lower, on average, for mothers who take dietary supplements compared to those who do not. The study recommends that the government and relevant stakeholders strengthen health management information systems to better sensitise mothers to the benefits of dietary supplement use before, during and after pregnancy. It also recommends to further subsidise these supplements to enhance affordability among women of reproductive age.