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Corruption and Health expenditure: A Cross-National Analysis on Infant and Child Mortality

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  • Jamie M. Sommer

    (University of South Florida (USF))

Abstract

How does corruption impact a nation’s capacity for well-being? Expanding government services and funding for health may not be effective at increasing well-being if corruption is rampant in government authorities. Therefore, both petty and grand corruption in different government bodies have the potential to greatly decrease the effectiveness of health expenditure at improving infant and child health, yet this relationship is understudied in the cross-national literature. Using two-way fixed effects models for a sample of 90 low- and middle-income nations from 1996 to 2012, I examine how the interaction between corruption in the executive and public sector and health expenditure impact infant and child mortality. The findings reveal the importance of controlling for corruption in improving the development effectiveness of health expenditure. In short, while states must have the fiscal capacity to generate enough funds for health expenditure, they must also reduce grand and petty corruption in the executive and public sectors to reduce infant and child mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jamie M. Sommer, 2020. "Corruption and Health expenditure: A Cross-National Analysis on Infant and Child Mortality," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 690-717, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:32:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1057_s41287-019-00235-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-019-00235-1
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