Table 3 An example of a difference in baseline conditions leading to a difference in absolute effectiveness

Facility-based births can help to reduce maternal mortality when such facilities are appropriately equipped and staffed by skilled health workers who are able to deliver effective interventions to reduce deaths from the common causes of maternal deaths such as haemorrhage and eclampsia. Typically proportions of facility-based births are lower in rural areas than in urban areas due to variations in accessibility. Paying transportation costs to improve access to facilities might reduce inequities. This is because payments may be more effective in rural areas where transportation costs are more of a barrier. It is also due to the lower proportion of facility-based births in rural areas (which thus increases the absolute effect).