Impact of health spending on economic growth in Mali: an econometric analysis[Impact des dépenses de santé sur la croissance économique au Mali : une analyse économétrique]

Mali's economic development is closely tied to the performance of its healthcare system, in a context marked by both structural and cyclical challenges. This study examines the impact of health expenditures on economic growth between 1990 and 2022, drawing on human capital theory (Becker, 1964) and endogenous growth theory (Romer, 1986; Lucas, 1988). Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the analysis reveals that public health expenditures stimulate growth, while household health spending has a negative effect—suggesting that excessive private financing hampers consumption and investment. Life expectancy has a positive short-term effect on growth, confirming the role of human capital, whereas the impact of education expenditures remains limited, pointing to structural inefficiencies. In the short run, the fast adjustment speed indicates that imbalances related to health spending are efficiently absorbed. This study offers a specific empirical contribution for Mali by comparing the effects of public and private health expenditures on growth, using a dynamic econometric approach. It highlights the urgent need to reform healthcare financing by strengthening public support and social protection mechanisms in order to maximize the growth-enhancing potential of health investments.