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Relationship between mortality and health care expenditure: Sustainable assessment of health care system

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  • Phebe Asantewaa Owusu
  • Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie
  • Pål Andreas Pedersen

Abstract

Infant and maternal mortality are important indicators for assessing the quality of healthcare systems. The World Health Organization underscores the importance of proper health care system in reducing preventable mortality through early intervention. Early intervention includes availability, accessibility and affordability of health care systems for children and mothers. While there are several studies that assess the immediate and underlying drivers of child mortality, literature on the role of policy measures are limited and inconsistent. Thus, robust empirical analysis of the determinants of maternal and infant mortality remains inconclusive in the era of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Here, we examined the influence of health expenditure on infant and maternal deaths for the period 2000–2015 across 177 countries. Using panel Quantile Regression with bootstrapping, this study accounted for the 2007–2008 financial crisis in an empirical relationship between health outcome and health expenditure. We found a negative effect of health expenditure on mortality across all percentiles. Infant mortality rate declines between 0.19% - 1.45% while maternal mortality rate declines ranging from 0.09% - 1.91%. To attain the goal of ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing of all people (SDG 3), this study infers that health expenditure potentially reduces maternal and infant mortality across lower and middle income countries. We highlight the need for an enhanced health care expenditure, especially in developing countries to curb the levels of infant and maternal deaths.

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  • Phebe Asantewaa Owusu & Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie & Pål Andreas Pedersen, 2021. "Relationship between mortality and health care expenditure: Sustainable assessment of health care system," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(2), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0247413
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247413
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Noshaba Aziz & Jun He & Tanwne Sarker & Hongguang Sui, 2021. "Exploring the Role of Health Expenditure and Maternal Mortality in South Asian Countries: An Approach towards Shaping Better Health Policy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, November.
    5. Olzhas Zhamantayev & Gaukhar Kayupova & Karina Nukeshtayeva & Nurbek Yerdessov & Zhanerke Bolatova & Anar Turmukhambetova, 2023. "COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on the Maternal Mortality in Kazakhstan and Comparison with the Countries in Central Asia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-13, January.
    6. Hilaire Gbodja Houeninvo, 2022. "Effects of health expenditures on infant and child mortality rates: A dynamic panel data analysis of 37 African countries," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 255-267, June.

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