Using cash transfers to promote child health equity: an analysis of Lesotho’s Child Grants Program

Abstract

Abstract Cash transfers (CTs) are increasingly popular tools for promoting social inclusion and equity in children in sub-Saharan Africa. However, less is known about their implications for reducing the health gap between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary children in the community. Using Lesotho’s Child Grants Program (CGP) as a case study, we aim to understand better the potential for CT programmes to reduce the gap in child health in the targeted communities. Using a triple difference model, we examine to what extent CGP improved child health outcomes in eligible households compared with non-eligible households in treatment communities vs control communities and to what extent this effect varied in different population subgroups. We find that the child health gap by beneficiary children’s health outcomes catching-up on the health of non-beneficiary children narrowed but that eduction was not statistically significant. However, such a ‘catch-up’ effect among beneficiaries was observed for selected nutrition outcomes amongst female-headed households and subjective child health assessment for comparatively more food-secure households. This study highlights the potential and limitations of CT programmes like the CGP to address health inequalities in preschool children for selected population subgroups in the community.