IMPACT OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE ON LIFE EXPECTANCY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Dauda Zira, Mohammed Ishaka Gani and Timothy Ojewuyi Blessing
Volume 4 Issue 1
Abstract
The study examined the impact of public health expenditure on life expectancy in sub-saharan African. We utilized a balance panel data of 42 African countries from Sub-Saharan region for the period of 2000 to 2022 from World Bank Development Index (WDI, 2023). Life expectancy at birth was specified as dependent variable, while healthcare expenditure, basic sanitation, urban population and HIV prevalence rate as independent variables. We used descriptive statistics, fixed effect and two-stage least square as methodology to the study, the result of the analysis revealed that; healthcare expenditure has a significant and positive impact on life expectancy in SubSaharan Africa. This implies that an increase in public healthcare expenditure is positively associated with an increase in life expectancy. Based on these findings, recommendations made are: There should be an increase in the funds allocated to healthcare in Sub-Sahara Africa in order to ensure adequate facilities and funds for improved health care delivery. This means that money spent on health will improve the health condition of the people thereby causing the nation to have a healthy labor force, Steps should be taken to reduce the various bottlenecks that hinder the proper disbursement of funds for health purposes. The administrative and political issues such as corruption should be checked to ensure quick and efficient allocation of funds to the health sector. Keywords: Public Health Expenditure, Life Expectancy, Basic Sanitation and HIV Prevalence
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