A Health Production Function for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (original) (raw)
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2021
Quick Response Code Abstract: This study aims to investigate and examine the influence of health related variables, socioeconomic factors and environmental indicators on the health status of East African countries which is proxied by life expectancy and assesses the link between public health intervention and health outcomes. Panel dataset from 2000 to 2016 for 11 East African countries was used to estimate the results. Nine variables related to health, socioeconomic and environmental factors that are predicted to potentially influence life expectancy are selected based on the available literature. To ensure the robustness of the result of the study, two estimation methods, which are widely used with panel data analysis namely; Pooled OLS and Fixed and Random Effects models are used. The estimation results suggest that under five mortality rates, HIV prevalence, the practice of open defecation, and carbon dioxide emissions have a negative and statistically significant effect on life...
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ECONOMIC RESEARCH PAPERS NO 38 Health Development in Africa
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The aim of this paper is to provide a framework that national governments and international agencies can use to accelerate health development in Africa. It shows the respective roles of socioeconomic, political and medical factors in the determination of health status of a population. Using measures of health development such as infant mortality, crude death rate, fertility and longevity, the paper finds that there has been progress in health development in Africa over the past 15 years. In particular, life expectancy for the whole continent increased by some 5 years, a finding consistent with a steady decline in infant mortality over the same period. Even so, the level of health development in the continent remains quite low compared with measures of health status in continents at similar stages of socioeconomic development. Moreover, the quality of life in Africa may not have improved at the same rate as the indicators of health development because of probable increases in morbidi...
Health and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
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It is generally acknowledged that health is a form of human capital and a critical factor in the economic growth process. In turn, health production is a major determinant of health outcomes. While the former relationship has been explored extensively for the developed countries, there are very few studies that have attempted to examine this relationship in developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Furthermore, very few studies have examined the relationship between determinants of health, health outcomes and economic growth in SSA. This study takes up the challenge of examining this tripartite relationship for SSA countries. Using the Arellano-Bond Dynamic GMM technique for 40 SSA countries, alcohol consumption, urbanization and carbon emission were found to be statistically significant determinants of child mortality, while all these variables and food availability are significant determinants of life expectancy. On the other hand, none of the health indicators ar...
Health Status and Health Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Long-Term Perspective
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This paper discusses the main changes in infant, child and maternal mortality which have occurred over 1960-1995 in Sub-Saharan Africa and analyses the main factors responsible for the observed shifts in these health trends. To do so, the paper surveys the major mortality models discussed in the literature and appraises their applicability to the Sub-Saharan African situation. Pooled cross section and time series data from 40 African countries, each with a population of over one million people, are then used to estimate explanatory models of infant, under-five and maternal mortality, and of female life expectancy at birth.After controlling for the effects of the time trend, we find that the main determinants of child health status in Africa are real average per capita household income, female literacy rate, nutritional status, safe water supply, immunization coverage and broad accessibility to health services. The health effects of all these factors are statistically significant, th...
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This study attempts to analyze the impact of per capita income, mother education, per capita public health expenditure, access to health facilities, clean water and sanitation on prevalence of child stunting in Ethiopia. For this purpose, regional state panel data is used to estimate a reduced form of health production using fixed effect model estimation technique. The results show per capita income, per capita public health expenditure, access to clean water and mothers' education significantly affect prevalence of child stunting. However, mother education becomes insignificant when the impact of access to clean water source, sanitation facilities and healthcare services are controlled. On the other hand, population per physician (proxy for access to health care services) and access to sanitation facilities have insignificant impact. The results suggest important role of income growth policies and promoting mother education to reduces prevalence of child stunting.
2005
The aim of this paper is to provide a framework that national governments and international agencies can use to accelerate health development in Africa. It shows the respective roles of socioeconomic, political and medical factors in the determination of health status of a population. Using measures of health development such as infant mortality, crude death rate, fertility and longevity, the paper finds that there has been progress in health development in Africa over the past 15 years. In particular, life expectancy for the whole continent increased by some 5 years, a finding consistent with a steady decline in infant mortality over the same period. Even so, the level of health development in the continent remains quite low compared with measures of health status in continents at similar stages of socioeconomic development. Moreover, the quality of life in Africa may not have improved at the same rate as the indicators of health development because of probable increases in morbidi...
The contribution of health outcomes and nutrition to economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
International Journal of Applied Research, 2024
The research was on the contribution of health outcomes and nutrition to GDP in SSA countries. This is important because an economy is only as strong as its health sector. The study covered the period from 1990 to 2018. The panel regression framework was adopted to analyse the data obtained from 36 countries. The variables are integrated after first difference, I (1) as indicated by the unit roots test. The result of both the Pedroni and Kao Cointegration tests indicate the presence of a remote equilibrium association among the variables. The results indicated GFCF and GEXH have a positive and portentous impact on GDP. LEX has insignificant and positive impact on GDP. The depth of food deficit has negative and meaningful impact on GDP. The HIV prevalence (HP) has a negative and portentous impact on GDP. Infant mortality and maternity mortality have negative and portentous impact on the level of GDP. The study concludes that GEXH, nutrition and LEX are necessary components to improving GDP in SSA countries. The study recommends amongst others an increase in budgetary allocation by all levels of government to the health care industry so as to improve salubrity condition, reduce health inequality gap among the population and in addition lead to higher growth and development.
Socio-economic Determinants of Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghanaian Journal of Economics, 2019
This paper investigated the effect of selected socio-economic factors on Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using data on 44 SSA countries covering the period 2000-2015, and applying the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique, we found that GDP per capita, health expenditure per capita and education (secondary school enrollment rate) positively and significantly impact Life Expectancy. Conversely, HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and CO2 emissions exerted a negative and significant impact on life expectancy. Lastly, geographical location had a differing impact on life expectancy. The paper recommends that governments in SSA should strengthen their policies on sustainable economic growth to harness its full potential on life expectancy. Also, secondary school education should be made accessible and affordable to all. Moreover, campaigns against HIV/AIDS should be intensified to curb its spread. Finally, governments in SSA should commit themselves to increasing health expenditures in conformity to the Abuja declaration of spending 15% of total government expenditures on healthcare.