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Child Mortality in the LDCs: The Role of Trade, Institutions and Environmental Quality

Author

Listed:
  • Faqin Lin

    (Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE))

  • Nicholas C.S. Sim

    (School of Economics, University of Adelaide)

  • Ngoc Pham

    (School of Economics, University of Adelaide)

Abstract

Child mortality is a persistent problem for the worldÂ’s least developed countries (LDCs). Given that trade fosters economic development, one plausible solution is to raise the low levels oftrade in the LDCs, but how effective this approach might be could depend on the quality of institutions. In this paper, we use a novel instrumental variable approach to estimate the effect that trade might have on child mortality in the LDCs. We find that trade does not lead to lower levels of child mortality. In fact, in autocratic LDCs, trade could even cause child mortality to increase as we find that pollution, which adversely affects health, may rise with trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Faqin Lin & Nicholas C.S. Sim & Ngoc Pham, 2015. "Child Mortality in the LDCs: The Role of Trade, Institutions and Environmental Quality," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2015-15, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:adl:wpaper:2015-15
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    File URL: https://economics.adelaide.edu.au/research/papers/doc/wp2015-15.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Lihua Dai & Qi Fan & Yanyun Li & Faqin Lin, 2021. "No time to look after the kids: The unintended consequences of export expansion on child health," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 527-548, July.
    2. Muhammad Shahbaz & Muhammad Shafiullah & Mantu K. Mahalik, 2019. "The dynamics of financial development, globalisation, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan Africa," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 444-479, December.
    3. Md Samsul Alam & Md Shahidul Islam & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Shazia Bilal, 2021. "Rapid rise of life expectancy in Bangladesh: Does financial development matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 4918-4931, October.
    4. Md. Samsul Alam & Syed Ali Raza & Muhammad Shahbaz & Qaisar Abbas, 2016. "Accounting for Contribution of Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Life Expectancy: The Long-Run and Short-Run Analysis in Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(3), pages 1155-1170, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child Mortality; Trade; Institutions; Environment; Least Developed Countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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