Transport-related emissions and lifetime risk of maternal death in developing nations

Abstract

In this study, the authors investigate whether transport-related emissions impact the lifetime risk of maternal death in developing nations. The authors estimate a health production model that incorporates annual data on carbon emissions from transportation on lifetime risks of maternal death and mortality rate for adult females from 2002 to 2016 for thirty-eight developing countries. Our analysis reveals a statistically significant positive correlation between transport-related carbon emissions and the lifetime risk of maternal death. A positive but statistically insignificant correlation between transportation-related carbon emissions and adult female mortality rates is also revealed. The success of Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 3.1, will largely depend on the developing countries’ solid commitments to adopt policies for clean energy in the transportation sector that can reduce women’s exposure to pollutants and minimize the risk imposed on their health.

KEY MESSAGES

• The findings of this study reveal a strong positive association between transport-related carbon emissions and the lifetime risk of maternal death.

• Developing nations need to adopt policies for clean energy in the transportation sector that can minimize women’s exposure to pollutants and ensure the timely achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 3.1.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to an anonymous reviewer and the editors of this journal for their helpful comments on two earlier versions of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

Ethical issues

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial or personal relationships that could be viewed as influencing the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.