Mothers Cash Grants

Discussion Week 2: Case 9
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Discussion Week 2: Case 9
Giving the cash grants to the mothers was generally a good idea. The positive consequences of giving cash grants to the mothers include considerable improvement in both adult and child health, which accompanied a rise in the utilization of health services; improvements in education; as well as improvements in nutrition. In the initial complete year of implementation, that is, 1998, the use of health service rose more rapidly within the Progressa treatment localities than in the areas in which no monetary transfers were offered. Pre-natal care, immunization, and nutrition-monitoring visits increased considerably, as did overall average utilization of health services. Importantly, prenatal care began earlier during the mother’s pregnancy in the Progresa areas in comparison to the other areas and this trend continued as implementation of the program expanded (Parker, 2004).
In addition, evaluation of the program revealed that the health of children in Progresa areas improved. Children below the age of five in Progresa areas, who were required get well-child care and who were provided with nutritional support, had a 12% lowe...