Economic Fluctuations and Child Health: How Well Children’s Health Needs are Met in Nigeria

Abstract

One of the major functions of every government is to monitor, manage and adequately supervise the way its healthcare system works, particularly in maintaining good maternal health and reducing child mortality. Unfortunately, recent evidence shows that many countries have been falling short of their responsibility of maintaining healthy population and ensuring low mortality rate. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of economic fluctuations on child mortality rates in Nigeria. Estimation techniques like descriptive statistics, ARDL Bound test and Fully-modified ordinary least square regression imbedded with distributed lag of GDP per capita were used in the study. It was found that GDP per capita significantly and negatively influence neonatal, under-5 and infant mortalities. The study found that one percent increase in GDP per capita leads to 12% decrease in neonatal, 26% decrease in infant and 23% decrease in under-5 mortality rates. In order to ascertain that the results were stable and devoid of biasness, a robustness test was conducted where public healthcare expenditure was used to replace GDP per capita. The estimates remained stable and consistent with when GDP per capita was used. The study therefore concludes that improvement in economic activities (manifested by increase GDP per capita and healthcare expenditure) is linked to decrease in child mortality rates, and recommends that government put in place policies that can ensure improvement in economic activities and subsequently decrease child mortality rates.