Women´s Health in Ethiopia - A Regional Assessment of Diverse Health Outcomes Between 2000 and 2016

Abstract: So far, broad-based assessments of health outcomes are scarce for Ethiopian women. Little is known about differences in overall health performance between regions. On that account, the present research scrutinizes a diversity of seven health indicators for women of their reproductive age. By this means, a deeper understanding of underlying mechanisms in female health performance over time and space is provided, crucial to mitigate unequal health outcomes. Aspects of preventive, curative as well as maternal health are taken into consideration in order to investigate both regional and rural-urban patterns in health outcomes between 2000 and 2016. Through a multilevel fixed effects analysis, composed of a first stage binary logistic regression and a second stage multinominal logistic regression, a series of postestimations is conducted. Odd ratios, predicted probabilities and marginal effects postestimation results are assessed. Over the years, marked improvements for the majority of health outcomes are recorded, linked to comprehensive governmental interventions since the 1990s onwards. However, substantial inter- and intraregional divergences in health performance is revealed. Comparatively good, regional performance in a single indicator is not a predictor for overall good performance in the totality of indicators considered. Similarly, health performance of women living in rural areas is remarkably poorer compared to their urban counterparts. Regional dynamics therefore represent a strong determinant of divergent health outcomes for women in the country. To continuously improve health outcomes and foster health equity in the future, regional adjustments in health interventions are consequently essential.