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Public Health Expenditure and Health Status in Ghana

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  • Boachie, Micheal Kofi
  • Ramu, K.

Abstract

Health is an important component of human capital yielding economic returns to its investors. It also improves people’s welfare. Investment in health, therefore, is an important source of productivity, growth and quality of life. In this study, we examined the impact of public health spending on health status, i.e., infant mortality, in Ghana. The study employed standard OLS and Newey-west estimation to examine the impact of public health spending on health status (i.e. infant mortality rate) for the period 1990 – 2012. After controlling for real per capita income, literacy level, and female participation in the labour market, we find evidence that the declining or falling infant mortality rate in Ghana has been influenced by public health spending among other factors. Thus, public healthcare expenditure is associated with improvement in health status through reduction in infant mortality. The implications for policy are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Boachie, Micheal Kofi & Ramu, K., 2015. "Public Health Expenditure and Health Status in Ghana," MPRA Paper 66371, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:66371
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Ifunanyachukwu N. & Risikat O. S. Dauda, 2019. "Education, Health Expenditure and the Quality of Life in Nigeria," Academic Journal of Economic Studies, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 5(4), pages 94-102, December.
    3. 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.
    4. Maryam Piran & Alireza Sharifi & Mohammad Mahdi Safari, 2023. "Exploring the Roles of Education, Renewable Energy, and Global Warming on Health Expenditures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-11, September.
    5. Edmond Kamanda & Yang Lanpin & Brima Sesay, 2022. "Causal nexus between health expenditure, health outcome and economic growth: Empirical evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa countries," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 2284-2302, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    healthcare expenditure; infant mortality; health status; Ghana;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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