Brazil's Bolsa Família linked to major declines in maternal and child mortality

Research by Fiocruz Bahia's Centre for Integration of Data and Knowledge for Health (Cidacs) over the past decade found that participation in the Bolsa Família cash‑transfer programme is associated with substantial health improvements among Brazil's poorest families. Women receiving the benefit faced up to a 31% lower risk of death from pregnancy‑related causes, and children under five saw a 16% reduction in mortality. Beneficiaries also had lower rates of low‑birth‑weight infants, premature births, tuberculosis (incidence down 41%, mortality down 31%), HIV/AIDS, and leprosy, as well as a 56% lower suicide rate and fewer psychiatric and substance‑abuse hospitalisations. The effects were especially pronounced for black and indigenous mothers. Researchers attribute these outcomes to increased prenatal care and greater use of health services encouraged by the programme’s conditionalities.