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Determinants of efficiency in reducing child mortality in developing countries. The role of inequality and government effectiveness

Author

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  • Bienvenido Ortega

    (Universidad de Málaga)

  • Jesús Sanjuán

    (Universidad de Málaga)

  • Antonio Casquero

    (Universidad de Málaga)

Abstract

The main aim of this article was to analyze the relationship of income inequality and government effectiveness with differences in efficiency in the use of health inputs to improve the under-five survival rate (U5SR) in developing countries. Robust Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and regression analysis were conducted using data for 47 developing countries for the periods 2000–2004, 2005–2009, and 2010–2012. The estimations show that countries with a more equal income distribution and better government effectiveness (i.e. a more competent bureaucracy and good quality public service delivery) may need fewer health inputs to achieve a specific level of the U5SR than other countries with higher inequality and worse government effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Bienvenido Ortega & Jesús Sanjuán & Antonio Casquero, 2017. "Determinants of efficiency in reducing child mortality in developing countries. The role of inequality and government effectiveness," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 500-516, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:hcarem:v:20:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s10729-016-9367-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10729-016-9367-1
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    2. Margit Sommersguter-Reichmann, 2022. "Health care quality in nonparametric efficiency studies: a review," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 30(1), pages 67-131, March.
    3. Alvaro Cavalcanti & Arthur Teixeira & Karen Pontes, 2020. "Evaluation of the Efficiency of Basic Sanitation Integrated Management in Brazilian Municipalities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-29, December.
    4. Gan, Tian & Zhang, Mingxin & Zhang, Zhiqiang, 2023. "The impact of digital government policy on entrepreneurial activity in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 479-496.
    5. Chris Doucouliagos & Jack Hennessy & Debdulal Mallick, 2021. "Health aid, governance and infant mortality," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 184(2), pages 761-783, April.
    6. Toshiyuki Sueyoshi & Youngbok Ryu & Ji-Young Yun, 2021. "COVID-19 Response and Prospects of Clean/Sustainable Energy Transition in Industrial Nations: New Environmental Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-30, February.
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