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Health-care expenditures, economic growth and infant mortality: evidence from developed and developing countries

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  • Dhrifi, Abdelhafidh

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of health-care expenditures on child mortality rates using a simultaneous-equation model for 93 developed and developing countries with data spanning the period 1995–2012. The findings show that health expenditure has a positive effect on reducing child mortality only for upper-middle-income and high-income countries, whereas for low-income and lower-middle-income countries, health spending does not have a significant impact on child health status. It is also found that at lower development levels, public health spending has a greater effect on mortality rates than private expenditure, while at high development levels private health expenditure has a positive impact on child mortality.

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  • Dhrifi, Abdelhafidh, 2018. "Health-care expenditures, economic growth and infant mortality: evidence from developed and developing countries," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecr:col070:44321
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    1. Ogbuagu Matthew Ikechukwu & Olunkwa Ndubuisi Chidi & Ogbuagu Chukwunonso Valentine, 2020. "Impact of Capital Health Expenditure on Infant-Maternal Mortality in Nigeria," Academic Journal of Economic Studies, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 6(1), pages 85-92, March.
    2. Jeffrey Kouton & Rafiou R. Bétila & Moïse Lawin, 2021. "The Impact of ICT Development on Health Outcomes in Africa: Does Economic Freedom Matter?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(4), pages 1830-1869, December.
    3. Salah Alnahdi, 2020. "The Impact of Corruption on Healthcare Services: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 8-15.
    4. Abdelhafidh Dhrifi & Saleh Alnahdi & Raouf Jaziri, 2021. "The Causal Links Among Economic Growth, Education and Health: Evidence from Developed and Developing Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(3), pages 1477-1493, September.

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