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Can health financing programmes reduce food insecurity in a developing country?

Author

Listed:
  • Raymond Elikplim Kofinti

    (University of Cape Coast
    University of Nairobi)

  • Isaac Koomson

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Josephine Baako-Amponsah

    (University of Bayreuth)

Abstract

Despite the devastating effects of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures on households’ financial outlays, which potentially stifle household resources needed for food consumption, the health financing program-food insecurity nexus is yet to receive much needed attention in the literature. This study makes a significant contribution by investigating the effect of health financing program, conceptualised as membership of a National Health Insurance Scheme, on household food insecurity using the food insecurity experience scale (FIES) and several quasi-experimental methods. Using data from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, our endogeneity-corrected results indicate that membership of a health financing program can contribute to reduction in household food insecurity. The results are robust to alternative conceptualisations of food insecurity and different quasi-experimental methods. The effect of health financing programme membership on food insecurity is more pronounced among urban and female-headed households. Our findings further point to household savings as an important channel through which membership of health financing program reduces food insecurity.

Suggested Citation

  • Raymond Elikplim Kofinti & Isaac Koomson & Josephine Baako-Amponsah, 2024. "Can health financing programmes reduce food insecurity in a developing country?," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 595-621, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:24:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s10754-024-09380-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-024-09380-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health financing; Food insecurity; Food insecurity experience scale; Ghana;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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