@article{Lindelow:16420,
      recid = {16420},
      author = {Lindelow, Magnus},
      title = {HEALTH CARE DEMAND IN RURAL MOZAMBIQUE: EVIDENCE FROM THE  1996/97 HOUSEHOLD SURVEY},
      address = {2002},
      number = {583-2016-39636},
      series = {FCND Discussion Paper},
      pages = {107},
      year = {2002},
      abstract = {Despite rapid economic growth in recent years, Mozambique  remains a very poor
country. Expenditure-based poverty  measures are reflected in widespread food insecurity
and  poor health status. In recognition of these problems, the  Government of Mozambique
is promoting expanded and improved  quality and equity in access to health care as an
important  component in the global strategy to fight poverty. Given  years of colonial
neglect and systematic destruction of  health facilities during the civil war, recent
government  policy has focused on expanding the rural health network.  However, insofar
as the ultimate objective of the provision  of curative services is to ensure that those in
need of  care receive effective treatment, it is also necessary to  think beyond supply.
Specifically, we need to consider how  individuals behave during episodes of illness, and
what  factors affect this behavior. This paper provides  quantitative evidence on the
importance of individual,  household, and community characteristics on individuals’  care-seeking
decisions during episodes of illness. The  paper estimates a “flexible” multinomial
model of health  care provider choice conditional on illness using data from  the 1996/97
Mozambique National Household Survey on Living  Conditions (IAF). The empirical
analysis is underpinned by  a basic theoretical framework of utility maximization  and
household production of health. A number of individual  and household characteristics,
e.g., age, education, and  reported symptoms, stand out as highly significant  determinants
of health seeking behavior. Also, prices,  defined in the model as the composite of user
fees and time  costs associated with consultations at different providers,  are found to be important determinants of choice. The  results indicate that the eradication of  poverty,
independent of improvements in physical access to  health care and education, will have
only a negligible  effect on health care choices.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/16420},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.16420},
}