Health Aid and Infant Mortality

Author/Editor:

David Locke Newhouse ; Prachi Mishra

Publication Date:

April 1, 2007

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

This paper examines the relationship between health aid and infant mortality, using data from 118 countries between 1973 and 2004. Health aid has a statistically significant effect on infant mortality: doubling per capita health aid is associated with a 2 percent reduction in the infant mortality rate. For the average country, this implies that increasing per capita health aid by US$1.60 per year is associated with 1.5 fewer infant deaths per thousand births. The estimated effect is small, relative to the targets envisioned by the Millennium Development Goals.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2007/100

Subject:

Estimation techniques Health Health care Health care spending Public expenditure review

English

Publication Date:

April 1, 2007

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451866643/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA2007100

Pages:

40

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