scholarly journals Infant Mortality in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Does Government Health Spending Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-73
Author(s):  
Micheal Kofi Boachie ◽  
Tatjana Põlajeva ◽  
Albert Opoku Frimpong
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Government Health ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

The issue of whether government health spending improves health outcomes has been a matter of contention over the years. There have been calls for governments to reduce their financing role in the health sector since such funding do not produce better health. This article examines the effect of public (i.e., government) health expenditure on infant mortality, a proxy of health outcomes, in low- and middle-income countries. We use data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators database and employ fixed effects estimation technique, with three-stage least squares as a robustness check. The data cover the period 1995–2014. We find that public health expenditure improves health outcomes significantly, as it reduces infant mortality. The results further show that rising income and access to safe water are some of the reasons for improved health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Based on these results and the expected redistributive impact of government spending, governments in low- and middle-income countries may consider increasing health spending for better healthcare systems and improved health.

scholarly journals Does government expenditure reduce inequalities in infant mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries?: A time-series, ecological analysis of 48 countries from 1993 to 2013

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Baker ◽  
Thomas Hone ◽  
Aaron Reeves ◽  
Mauricio Avendano ◽  
Christopher Millett
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

AbstractInequalities in infant mortality rates (IMRs) are rising in some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and decreasing in others, but the explanation for these divergent trends is unclear. We investigate whether government expenditures and redistribution are associated with reductions in inequalities in IMRs. We estimated country-level fixed-effects panel regressions for 48 LMICs (142 country observations). Slope and Relative Indices of Inequality in IMRs (SII and RII) were calculated from Demographic and Health Surveys between 1993 and 2013. RII and SII were regressed on government expenditure (total, health and non-health) and redistribution, controlling for gross domestic product (GDP), private health expenditures, a democracy indicator, country fixed effects and time. Mean SII and RII was 39.12 and 0.69, respectively. In multivariate models, a 1 percentage point increase in total government expenditure (% of GDP) was associated with a decrease in SII of −2.468 [95% confidence intervals (CIs): −4.190, −0.746] and RII of −0.026 (95% CIs: −0.048, −0.004). Lower inequalities were associated with higher non-health government expenditure, but not higher government health expenditure. Associations with inequalities were non-significant for GDP, government redistribution, and private health expenditure. Understanding how non-health government expenditure reduces inequalities in IMR, and why health expenditures may not, will accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

scholarly journals Infant Mortality and Public Health Expenditure in Nigeria: Empirical Explanation of the Nexus

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-164
Author(s):  
Joseph David
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Infant Mortality Rate ◽  
Bounds Testing ◽  
Government Health ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Government Health Expenditure

Abstract This study employs Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to co-integration and Granger causality technique to empirically examines the nature of relationship between infant mortality and public expenditure on health in Nigeria from 1980 – 2016. In addition, the study considers the roles of immunization, private health expenditure and external health resources on infant mortality in Nigeria. Among other things, the empirical results indicate the presence of significant conintegrating (long-run) relationship between infant mortality and government health expenditure (and private health expenditure, immunization and external health resources), coupled with the existence of bi-directional causal relationship between infant mortality and government health expenditure. In addition, the results also demonstrate that, government health expenditure, private health expenditure, immunization, and external health resources significantly influence infant mortality negatively both in the long and short term. Although, private health spending is shown as the major determinant of the reduction of infant mortality rate in Nigeria, due to the size of the coefficient of private health expenditure. In essence, the total overhaul of the Nigerian health sector, so as to improve the efficiency of the sector, as well curb the incidents of fund mismanagement which has plagued the sector overtime, coupled with the intensifying of immunization programs and activities are however recommended.

scholarly journals Effect of Food Environment Interventions on Anthropometric Outcomes in School-Aged Children and Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Carducci ◽  
Christina Oh ◽  
Emily C Keats ◽  
Daniel E Roth ◽  
Zulfiqar A Bhutta
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

ABSTRACT Food environments may promote access to unhealthy foods, contributing to noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). This review assessed published evidence on the effects of food environment interventions on anthropometric (BMI and weight status) outcomes in school-aged children (5–9 y) and adolescents (10–19 y) (SACA) in LMICs. We summarized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies (QES) published since 2000 to August 2019 in the peer-reviewed and gray literature that assessed the effects of food-related behavioral and environmental interventions on diet-related health outcomes in SACA in LMICs. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library) were searched using appropriate keywords, Medical Subject Headings, and free text terms. Eleven RCTs and 6 QES met the inclusion criteria, testing multicomponent behavioral and environmental interventions in schools. Analysis of 6 RCTs (n  = 17,054) suggested an overall effect on change in BMI [mean difference (MD): −0.11, 95% CI: −0.19 , −0.03], whereas there was no observed effect in 5 studies using endline BMI (n  = 17,371) (MD: 0.05, 95% CI: −0.32, 0.21). There was no significant pooled effect among the 3 QES (n  = 5,023) that reported differences in change in BMI or endline (MD: −0.37, 95% CI: −0.95, 0.22). There is limited evidence to support the modification of diet-related health outcomes through school-based food environment interventions in SACA in LMICs. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of school and community-based food environment interventions on nutritional status in this population.

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