Public Health Expenditures, Environmental Pollution and Health Outcomes: Evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

The role of health in the development of a nation cannot be overemphasized. While the concept of health status and the impact of public health expenditure have continued to generate scholarly debates, this study contributes to the debate with the incorporation of the role of the environment as a determinant of health status in Nigeria. With the objective of examining the impact of Public Health Expenditures and Pollution on Nigerians Health Status, annual secondary time series data spanning 37 years (1981-2017) collected from Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin and World Development Indicator were analyzed using the ARDL technique. The result shows that Public Expenditures on Health has a positive and significant impact on health outcomes in Nigeria. Again, environmental pollution as proxied by per capita CO2 emission has a negative and significant effect on health outcome in the country. Economic growth rate was found to have positive impact but insignificant in enhancing life expectancy (proxy for health outcome) in Nigeria. On the basis of the empirical findings, it is recommended that the government should sustain the flow of resources to the health sector and improve on environmental practices through the formulation of new national environmental policies and better awareness campaign through the deployment of community health extension workers (CHEW).