Introduction

Thanks to the generous support of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School, this summer I will be working with the National Data Management Center at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute to conduct research on maternal and child health service coverage at the district-level across the country.

As a brief introduction, I am Lisa Matay, a native of Tanzania and a current SM2 Candidate in the Global Health and Population Program. I completed my undergraduate studies at Harvard College in 2020 with a degree in economics. Prior to starting at HSPH, I worked as a senior analyst at Analysis group in Boston and San Francisco. While at analysis group, I worked on health economics research and outcomes, using big data to analyze healthcare costs, resource utilization, racial disparities and treatment burden for various chronic diseases in the US. My interests lie at the intersection of gender, health and economics to improve maternal and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. I am passionate about using big data and decision analytics tools to inform evidence-based policies, address gender inequities to improve population health in sub-saharan Africa.

Ethiopia has made substantial improvements in various MCH indicators including declines in maternal mortality over the last two decades. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) declined from 953 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 267 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. However, like other sub-Saharan African countries, the MMR is still unacceptably high and far below the target set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births. Additionally, the national estimates do not capture the significant inequities across the numerous districts and regions in Ethiopia regarding MCH outcomes. The National Data Management and Analytic Center (NDMC) at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) works on a range of topical areas with leading experts across various disciplines like data science, economics and health. My research over the 8 weeks of the internship will be specifically on MCH and I will leverage the great variety of data available at the EPHI to contribute to evidence synthesis on MCH and inform policies to improve health outcomes for pregnant women equitably and efficiently.

Through this process and support from WAPPP, I will learn and apply different data analytic techniques and gain practical experience in how research can guide policymaking.Specifically, I will identify some of the complex challenges at the subnational and district levels associated with specific MCH outcomes and services, and I will develop quantitative methods required to measure and improve specific MCH outcomes and indicators equitably and efficiently, at the district level in the country – that is, I will estimate district-level coverage and cost-effectiveness of key MCH services (e.g., immunization coverage, utilization of maternal health services, coverage of in-facility delivery).

I have neither lived nor worked in Ethiopia before so the fellowship will allow me to immerse myself in a new context, expand my professional network and work with leading Ethiopian experts on pressing health issues affecting women across the country! Excited to share my experiences with everyone.