Scaling up coupons for safe water treatment in Kenya

In collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MoH), the program will implement a coupon program for free dilute chlorine embedded in the government health system. The program builds on evidence generated by previous randomized evaluations that estimated the impact of similar programs, but where coupons were delivered by researchers and redeemed at local shops (Dupas et al. 2016 and 2021 [forthcoming]). Related work by the investigators in Kenya and Malawi showed that providing vouchers in place of free distribution maintained keeping most of the benefits of free distribution while reducing wastage, improving cost effectiveness. The project team aims to (1) test the feasibility of the coupon program embedded in the government health system, at scale, in Kenya, and in other countries; (2) provide estimated intermediate impacts, including on chlorine usage, diarrhea, and healthcare utilization, and (3) conduct a large-scale RCT to rigorously estimate impacts on child mortality. The program will train government health workers to provide every pregnant woman and woman with children under age 5 who visit health facilities for routine health care with coupons for free water treatment solution. The coupons will be redeemable at the health facilities, whose procurement system will be adapted accordingly.