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Working Paper 91 - Health Expenditures and Health Outcomes in Africa

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This paper provides econometric evidence linking African countries’ per capita total as well as government health expenditures and per capita income to two health outcomes: infant mortality and under-five mortality. This relationship is examined, using data from 47 African countries between 1999 and 2004. Health expenditures have a statistically significant effect on infant mortality and under-five mortality. The magnitude of our elasticity estimates are in consonance to those reported in the literature. For African countries, our results imply that total health expenditures (as well as the public component) are certainly important contributor to health outcomes. In addition, we find that both infant and under-five mortality are positively and significantly associated with Sub-Saharan Africa. The reverse is true for North Africa. While ethnolinguistic fractionalization and HIV prevalence positively and significantly affect the health outcomes, higher numbers physicians and female literacy significantly reduce these health outcomes. These results have important implications for attaining the targets envisioned by the Millennium Development Goals. The data implications are also discussed.

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  • John Anyanwu & Andrew E. O. Erhijakpor, 2007. "Working Paper 91 - Health Expenditures and Health Outcomes in Africa," Working Paper Series 226, African Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:adb:adbwps:226
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jacob Novignon & Solomon Olakojo & Justice Nonvignon, 2012. "The effects of public and private health care expenditure on health status in sub-Saharan Africa: new evidence from panel data analysis," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Azza Mohamed Hegazy, 2016. "Mobile Phone and Child Mortality: The Case of Developing Countries," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(3), pages 917-925.
    4. Matthew Oluwatoyin A. & Adegboye Folasade B. & Fasina Fagbeminiyi F., 2015. "Public Health Expenditure and Health Outcomes in Nigeria," International Journal of Financial Economics, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 4(1), pages 45-56.
    5. Devdatta Ray & Mikael Linden, 2020. "Health expenditure, longevity, and child mortality: dynamic panel data approach with global data," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 99-119, March.
    6. Akinlo, Anthony E. & Sulola, Abiola O., 2019. "Health care expenditure and infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 168-178.
    7. Joshua Adeyemi Ogunjimi & Adedeji Oluwatosin Adebayo, 2019. "Health Expenditure, Health Outcomes and Economic Growth in Nigeria," Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 6(2), pages 130-139.
    8. Fatima Boussalem & Zina Boussalem & Abdelaziz Taiba, 2014. "The Relationship between public spending on health and economic growth in Algeria: Testing for Cointegration and Causality," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 0101004, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    9. Delgadillo Chavarria, Carlos Bruno, 2019. "Gasto Público Social, Gobernanza y Desarrollo Humano: Una Aplicación con Datos Municipales de Bolivia: 1994-2008 [Social Public Expenditure, Governance and Human Development: An Application with Mu," MPRA Paper 95552, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Aug 2019.
    10. Kilishi, Abdulhakeem A & Obasa, Nimotullahi, 2018. "Governance And Inclusive Health System In Sub-Saharan Africa," Ilorin Journal of Economic Policy, Department of Economics, University of Ilorin, vol. 5(5), pages 26-45, June.
    11. Carl Grekou & Romain Perez, 2014. "Child Mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: Why Public Health Spending Matters," Working Papers hal-04141334, HAL.
    12. Allen, Summer L. & Badiane, Ousmane & Ulimwengu, John M., 2012. "Government Expenditures, Social Outcomes, and Marginal Productivity of Agricultural Inputs: A Case Study for Tanzania," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126663, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Anthony Orji & Jonathan E. Ogbuabor & Onyinye I. Anthony-Orji & Chinonso Okoro & Blessing U. Aniorji, 2020. "Your job or your health? Analysis of unemployment issues and health outcomes in Nigeria," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 23(77), pages 28-49, September.
    14. Besuthu Hlafa & Kin Sibanda & Dumisani MacDonald Hompashe, 2019. "The Impact of Public Health Expenditure on Health Outcomes in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-13, August.
    15. Anthony Orji & Jonathan E. Ogbuabor & Peter N. Mba & Onyinye I. Anthony-Orji, 2021. "Are Wealthy Countries Always Healthy? Health Outcomes and Public Health Spending Nexus in Nigeria," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    16. Oduyemi, Gabriel Olusegun & Owoeye, Taiwo & Adekoya, Oluwasegun Babatunde, 2021. "Health outcomes and the resource curse paradox: The experience of African oil-rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    17. Ssozi, John & Amlani, Shirin, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Health Expenditure on the Proximate and Ultimate Goals of Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 165-179.
    18. M. M. Goel, Ishu Garg, 2016. "Public Expenditure On Health And Its Impact On Health Infrastructure And Health Status In Haryana," Working papers 2016-09-04, Voice of Research.
    19. Giovanis, Eleftherios & Ozdamar, Oznur, 2017. "The Effects of the 2008 Health Reform on Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditures in Turkey," MPRA Paper 95837, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Deluna, Roperto Jr & Peralta, Tiffany Faith, 2014. "Public Health Expenditures, Income and Health Outcomes in the Philippines," MPRA Paper 60115, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Sarkodie, Adu Owusu, 2021. "Factors influencing under-five mortality in rural- urban Ghana: An applied survival analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    22. 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.
    23. Boachie, Micheal Kofi & Ramu, K., 2015. "Public Health Expenditure and Health Status in Ghana," MPRA Paper 66371, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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