IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aif/journl/v4y2020i4p35-60.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Economic Growth on Health Outcomes: A Panel Data Study of Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Ajak Michael Bul
  • Ogeto Robert Moracha

Abstract

This paper takes an extra look at the debate of economic growth as a trendy issue in the world and predominantly a deep-rooted distress of Sub-Saharan Africa and Africa (SSA) as a whole. The study investigates the effect of economic growth on health in Sub-Saharan Africa with data from 1991-2015 using pooled OLS and two-ways fixed effect method as captured by infant mortality rate, fertility rate, and life expectancy total, (years) with other explanatory variables. The result shows that economic growth and health outcomes have a statistically strong negative significant relationship. The analysis showed that economic growth decreases infant mortality rates and fertility rate through the provision of healthcare services and improves life expectancy as well. In addition, other variables including agriculture, services, and population significantly affects health outcomes, while per capita income (GDPPC) unveils more effect on health in SSA. The findings of this study recommend that economic growth remains a vital determinant in improving health outcomes in Sub-Saharan African countries, though SSA is characterized by an unstable trend of economic growth and poor health facilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Ajak Michael Bul & Ogeto Robert Moracha, 2020. "Effects of Economic Growth on Health Outcomes: A Panel Data Study of Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 4(4), pages 35-60.
    • Handle: RePEc:aif:journl:v:4:y:2020:i:4:p:35-60
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ijsab.com/wp-content/uploads/513.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ijsab.com/volume-4-issue-4/2806
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Christopher J. Ruhm, 2000. "Are Recessions Good for Your Health?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(2), pages 617-650.
    3. Ludger Vessman & Jerik Hanushek, 2007. "The role of education quality in economic growth (Part I)," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 86-116.
    4. Angus S. Deaton & Christina Paxson, 2001. "Mortality, Education, Income, and Inequality among American Cohorts," NBER Chapters, in: Themes in the Economics of Aging, pages 129-170, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Mikael Lindahl & Alan B. Krueger, 2001. "Education for Growth: Why and for Whom?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1101-1136, December.
    6. Hanushek, Eric A. & Woessmann, Ludger, 2007. "The role of education quality for economic growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4122, The World Bank.
    7. Robert J. Barro, 2003. "Determinants of Economic Growth in a Panel of Countries," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 4(2), pages 231-274, November.
    8. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    9. William Easterly & Ross Levine, 1997. "Africa's Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic Divisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(4), pages 1203-1250.
    10. Alwyn Young, 2005. "The Gift of the Dying: The Tragedy of AIDS and the Welfare of Future African Generations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(2), pages 423-466.
    11. Jerik Hanushek & Dennis Kimko, 2006. "Schooling, Labor-force Quality, and the Growth of Nations," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 1, pages 154-193.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Teixeira, Aurora A.C. & Queirós, Anabela S.S., 2016. "Economic growth, human capital and structural change: A dynamic panel data analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1636-1648.
    2. Hüseyin Taştan & Selin Erdoğan, 2018. "Cognitive skills and economic performance: evidence from the recent international student assessment tests," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 8(3), pages 417-449, December.
    3. Jayasooriya, Sujith, 2020. "Revised Macro-Mincer Model for Human Capital Investment in Economic Growth," MPRA Paper 100747, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Risti Permani, 2009. "The Role of Education in Economic Growth in East Asia: a survey," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 23(1), pages 1-20, May.
    5. Glewwe, Paul & Maïga, Eugénie & Zheng, Haochi, 2014. "The Contribution of Education to Economic Growth: A Review of the Evidence, with Special Attention and an Application to Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 379-393.
    6. Rogers, Mark Llewellyn, 2008. "Directly unproductive schooling: How country characteristics affect the impact of schooling on growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 356-385, February.
    7. Michael S. Delgado & Daniel J. Henderson & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2014. "Does Education Matter for Economic Growth?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 76(3), pages 334-359, June.
    8. Dakpogan, Arnaud & Smit, Eon, 2018. "The effect of electricity losses on GDP in Benin," MPRA Paper 89545, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Ralph Hippe & Roger Fouquet, 2024. "The Human Capital Transition and the Role of Policy," Springer Books, in: Claude Diebolt & Michael Haupert (ed.), Handbook of Cliometrics, edition 3, pages 411-457, Springer.
    10. Valerio Mendoza, Octasiano Miguel & Borsi, Mihály Tamás & Comim, Flavio, 2022. "Human capital dynamics in China: Evidence from a club convergence approach," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Hanushek, Eric A. & Woessmann, Ludger, 2012. "Schooling, educational achievement, and the Latin American growth puzzle," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 497-512.
    12. Artelaris, Panagiotis & Arvanitidis, Paschalis & Petrakos, George, 2006. "Theoretical and Methodological Study on Dynamic Growth Regions and Factors Explaining their Growth Performance," Papers DYNREG02, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    13. Eftimoski, Dimitar, 2022. "On the inconclusive effect of human capital on growth: A new look at extended specifications," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 708-727.
    14. Middendorf Torge, 2006. "Human Capital and Economic Growth in OECD Countries," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(6), pages 670-686, December.
    15. Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay & Nilanjan Banik, 2013. "The interplay between growth and development: evidence from Indian districts," Asia-Pacific Development Journal, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), vol. 20(2), pages 109-127, December.
    16. Serge Coulombe & Jean-Francois Tremblay, 2009. "Education, Productivity and Economic Growth: A Selective Review of the Evidence," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 18, pages 3-24, Spring.
    17. Arvanitidis, Paschalis & Petrakos, George & Pavleas, Sotiris, 2007. "Determinants of economic growth: the experts’ view," Papers DYNREG20, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    18. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2013. "A Synthesis Of The Uzawa-Lucas Model With The Walrasian-General-Equilibrium And Neoclassical-Growth Theories," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 58(199), pages 7-38, October -.
    19. Jean Luc de Meulemeester & Claude Diebolt, 2007. "Education et croissance : quel lien, pour quelle politique ?," Working Papers 07-08, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC).
    20. Alali, Walid Y., 2012. "Influence The Education Levels on Income Worldwide: Empirical Evidence," EconStor Preprints 269924, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aif:journl:v:4:y:2020:i:4:p:35-60. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Farjana Rahman (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.