Understanding the effectiveness of government health expenditure in improving health equity: Preliminary evidence from global health expenditure and child mortality rate

Abstract Background The goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is to ensure that everyone is able to obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. UHC remains a mirage if government health expenditure is not improved. Health priority refers to general government health expenditure as a percentage of general government expenditure. It indicates the priority of the government to spend on healthcare from its domestic public resources. Our study aimed to assess health priorities in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) using the health priority index from the WHO’s Global Health Expenditure Database. Method We extracted and analysed data on health priority in the WHO’s Global Health Expenditure Database across the 15 members of the ECOWAS (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo) from 2010 to 2018 to assess how these countries prioritize health. The data are presented using descriptive statistics. Results Our findings revealed that no West African country beats the cutoff of a minimum of 15% health priority index. Ghana (8.43%), Carbo Verde (8.29%), and Burkina Faso (7.60%) were the top three countries with the highest average health priority index, while Guinea (3.05%), Liberia (3.46%), and Guinea-Bissau (3.56%) had the lowest average health priority in the West African region within the period of our analysis (2010 to 2018). Conclusion Our study reiterates the need for West African governments and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize health in their political agenda towards achieving UHC.

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Health Status, Government Health Expenditure and Economic Growth Nexus in India: A Toda–Yamamoto Causality Approach

Arthaniti-Journal of Economic Theory and Practice ◽

10.1177/0976747920963401 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 097674792096340

Author(s):

Avinash Kaur

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Health Status ◽

Mortality Rate ◽

Infant Mortality ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Health Expenditure ◽

Infant Mortality Rate ◽

Government Health ◽

The Government ◽

Government Health Expenditure

This article attempts to examine the causal linkage among government health expenditure, health status and economic growth in India for the period from 1981–1982 to 2015–2016. The results of Johansen co-integration test indicate that government health expenditure, health status and economic growth have long-run relationship in India. The results of Toda–Yamamoto causality test showed that there existed unidirectional causal relationship running from government health expenditure to gross domestic product—GDP (economic growth); GDP (economic growth) to life expectancy; government health expenditure to infant mortality rate and infant mortality rate to life expectancy. On the other hand, there is no evidence showing causality in any direction between infant mortality rate to GDP (economic growth) and government health expenditure to life expectancy. The study strongly confirmed that the government health expenditure has an effect on GDP (economic growth) and infant mortality rate (which depicts health status) in India. The health outcomes, namely life expectancy and infant mortality rare, reveal unidirectional causality between them. Therefore, the study concludes that policymakers and the government should pay proper attention to the health sector in order to ultimately achieve economic growth in the country.

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Health status of children in ancient Sirmium

Starinar ◽

10.2298/sta1666065m ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 65-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Natasa Miladinovic-Radmilovic ◽

Vulovic Dragana ◽

Ksenija Djukic

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Mortality Rate ◽

Child Mortality ◽

Middle Ear ◽

Metabolic Diseases ◽

Enamel Hypoplasia ◽

The Social ◽

Haematological Disorders ◽

Child Mortality Rate ◽

Inadequate Nutrition

This paper presents diseases which directly leave traces on osteological material (enamel hypoplasia, caries, traumatic conditions, haematological disorders, metabolic diseases and middle ear inflammation) and diseases that leave no visible marks on bones, and may indeed be the direct cause of death of children in ancient Sirmium. In paleodemographic research, child mortality rate is an important element of a population?s progress. Child mortality is considered an adequate criterion for the social and sanitation conditions of a community and a sensitive indicator of inadequate nutrition.

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Subnational government share of general government health expenditure

Delivering Quality Education and Health Care to All - OECD Rural Studies ◽

10.1787/8ba22eac-en ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Health Expenditure ◽

Government Health ◽

Subnational Government ◽

General Government ◽

Government Health Expenditure

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The Integrated Spatial Pattern of Child Mortality during the 2012–2016 Drought in La Guajira, Colombia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11247190 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 7190 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Diana Contreras

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Spatial Pattern ◽

Child Mortality ◽

Stepwise Regression ◽

Monthly Income ◽

Far North ◽

Single Indicator ◽

Economic Vulnerability ◽

Spatial Indicators ◽

Child Mortality Rate

The El Niño phenomenon in 2012 triggered a drought in La Guajira, Colombia that extended until 2016. In this period, the average child mortality rate in the area reached 23.4 out of 1000. The aim of this paper is to identify the integrated spatial pattern (ISP) of a single indicator in this case; child mortality. At the same time, the ISP identifies causes and priority areas for action. The socio-economic vulnerability (SEV) variables and spatial indicators related to child mortality were selected from the literature review and through meetings, workshops, and interviews with the affected community during fieldwork. Using correlation analysis and stepwise regression, the SEV variables with more accountability in child mortality during the drought were identified: Households with a monthly income of less than 100 USD, the number of people older than 65, and the number of people younger than 5 years old. Allocating weights to the SEV variables according to their degree of accountability in child mortality, its ISP has been identified. The far north of La Guajira was detected as the area most affected by child mortality and was, therefore, the priority zone for implementing actions focused on generating new sources of income.

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