Health Care Expenditure and GDP: An African Perspective

27 Pages Posted: 13 Jun 2007

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2006

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the magnitude of income elasticity of health care expenditure in Africa. The existing literature has to date focused on developed countries due to scarcity of health expenditure data in developing countries. We here exploit panel data techniques that combine time-series and cross-section data whilst also enabling a substantial increase in testing power. This study constitutes the first attempt to explore the income elasticity of health care expenditure for 28 African countries in a panel dimension over the decade 1991 - 2000. In addition to aggregate health expenditure, we model public and private health expenditures separately. Public health expenditure is found to be a luxury good while private health expenditure a necessity. This is not too surprising in the context of Africa, where the public sector has to strive hard to provide basic health care to the poor majority but a rich minority can easily afford hi-tech private health care. Furthermore the income elasticity of public health expenditure is found to be pro-cyclical while that of private health expenditure is counter-cyclical, thereby reinforcing our previous findings.

Keywords: health care expenditure, panel cointegration, Africa

JEL Classification: C23, I10

Suggested Citation

Jaunky, Vishal C. and Khadaroo, Ahmad Jameel, Health Care Expenditure and GDP: An African Perspective (September 2006). iHEA 2007 6th World Congress: Explorations in Health Economics Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=993033 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.993033

Vishal C. Jaunky (Contact Author)

University of Mauritius ( email )

Reduit, 80837
Mauritius

Ahmad Jameel Khadaroo

University of Mauritius ( email )

Reduit, 80837
Mauritius

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
408
Abstract Views
2,641
Rank
98,604
PlumX Metrics