Public Spending on Health and Childhood Mortality in India

Kaushal, Kaushalendra Kumar and F Ram, Faujdar Ram and Abhishek, Abhishek Singh (2013): Public Spending on Health and Childhood Mortality in India.

Abstract

The present study attempts to investigate the association between public spending on health and childhood mortality in India; using time-series cross-sectional data from various government sources for the period 1985-2009. Infant and child (age 1 to 4 years) mortality rates were used as the indicators for childhood mortality. Ordinary least squares, generalized least squares and fixed effects regression models were used to investigate the association between public spending on health and childhood mortality. The findings suggest insignificant association between public spending on health and childhood mortality both at the country level and for the EAG states. On the contrary, per capita state income and female literacy were significantly associated with improved childhood survival. Percentage of the population living below the poverty line was significantly associated with infant and child mortality only in the EAG states. The findings call for a number of other measures along with increased public spending on health to reduce infant and child mortality in India.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Public spending, fixed effect, India, childhood
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H51 - Government Expenditures and Health; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I18 - Government Policy ; Regulation ; Public Health

References

Almeida, C., Travassos C., Porto, S., & Labra, M. E. (2000) Health sector reform in Brazil: a case study of inequality, International Journal of Health Services, 30, pp. 129-162.

Backman, G., Hunt, p., Khosla, R. et al. (2008) Health systems and the right to health: an assessment of 194 countries, The Lancet, 372, pp. 2047-2085.

Berman, P., & Ahuja, R. (2008) Government health spending in India, Economic and Political Weekly, XLIII, pp. 209-216.

Bhalotra, S. (2007) Spending to save? State health expenditure and infant mortality in India, Health Economics, 16, 911-928.

Bhat, P.N.M. (2002) Completeness of India’s sample registration system: an assessment using the general growth balance method, Population Studies, 56, pp. 119-134.

Bidani, B., & Ravallion, M. (1997) Decomposing social indicators using distributional data, Journal of Econometrics, 77, pp. 125–139.

Blaxter, M. (1981) The health of children: a review of research on the place of health in cycles of disadvantage (London: Heinemann Educational Books).

Bokhari, F.A.S., Gai, Y., & Gottret, P. (2007) Government health expenditures and health outcomes, Health Economics, 16, pp. 257–773.

Castro-Leal, F., Dayton, J., Demery, L., & Mehra, K. (2000) Public spending on health care in Africa: do the poor benefit? Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 78, pp. 66-78.

CE-NRHM. (2011). Concurrent Evaluation of National Rural Health Mission, 2009. (Mumbai, India: International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and New Delhi, India: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India).

Chatterjee, C. B. (2006) Identities in motion: migration and health in India. Mumbai, India: Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT), available at: http://www.cehat.org/go/uploads/Hhr/migrants.pdf (accessed 28 July 2012).

Cutler, D., Deaton, A., & Lleras-Muney, A. (2006) The determinants of mortality, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20, pp. 97–120.

Das, M.B., Kapoor, S., & Nikitin, D. (2010) A closer look at child mortality among Adivasis in India, Policy Research Working Paper 5231 (Washington D.C: World Bank).

Deolalikar, A.B. (2004) Attaining the millennium development goals in India (Washington DC: The World Bank, Human Development Unit, South Asia Region).

Dhandapany, G., Bethou, A., Arunagirinathan, A., & Ananthakrishanan, S. (2008) Antenatal counseling on breast feeding – is it adequate? A descriptive study from Pondicherry, India, International Breastfeeding, 3, pp. 1-4.

Farahani, M., Subramanian, S.V., & Canning, D. (2010) Effects of state level public spending on health on the mortality probability in India, Health Economics, 19, pp. 1361-1376.

Filmer, D., & Pritchett, L. (1999) The impact of public spending on health: does money matter? Social Science & Medicine, 49, pp. 1309-1323.

Filmer, D., Hammer, J. S., & Pritchett, L. H. (2000) Weak links in the chain: A diagnosis of health policy in poor countries, The World Bank Research Observer, 15, pp. 199–224. Gani, A. (2009) Health care financing and health outcomes in Pacific Island Countries, Health Policy and Planning, 24, pp. 72-81.

Ghosh, R. (2012) Child mortality in India: a complex situation, World Journal of Pediatrics, 8, pp. 11-18.

Govindasamy, P., & Ramesh, B.M. (1997) Maternal education and the utilization of maternal and child health services in India, National Family Health Survey Subject Report 5, (Mumbai: International Institute for Population Sciences; and Maryland: Macro International Inc.).

Gunther, I., & Fink, G. (2010) Water, sanitation and children’s health evidence from 172 DHS surveys, Policy Research Working Paper 5275 (Washington DC: World Bank).

Gupta, S., Verhoevan, M., & Tiongson, E.R. (2003) Public spending on health care and the poor, Health Economics, 12, pp. 685-696.

Gupta, S., Verhoeven, M., & Tiongson, E.R. (2002) The effectiveness of government spending on education and health care in developing and transition economies, European Journal of Political Economy, 18, pp. 717-737.

Gwatkin, D.R. (2000) Health inequalities and the health for the poor: What do we know? What can we do? Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 78, pp. 3–18.

HLEG. (2011) High Level Expert Group on Universal Coverage for India (New Delhi: Planning Commission, Government of India).

Hunt, P. (2010). Special Rapporteur on Right to Everyone to the Enjoyment of the highest Attainable Standard of Health (New York: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations General Assembly).

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) ORC Macro (2007) National Family Health Survey (NFHS - 3), 2005-06: India, Vol. I. Mumbai: IIPS.

Jones, G., Steketee, R.W., Black, R.E., Bhutta, A.Z., Morris, S.S., & the Bellagio Child Survival Study Group (2003) How many child deaths can we prevent this year? The Lancet, 362, pp. 65–71.

Kim, K., & Moody, P.M. (1992) More resources better health? A cross-national perspective, Social Science & Medicine, 34, pp. 837–342.

Mahal, A., Yazbeck, A.S., Peters, D.H., Ramana, G.N.V. (2001) The poor and health service use in India, Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) Discussion Paper (Washington DC: World Bank).

Malhotra, C., & Do, Y.K. (2012) Socio-economic disparities in health system responsiveness in India. Health Policy and Planning (forthcoming) doi: 10.1093/heapol/czs051.

Matthews, Z., Mahendra, S., Kilaru, A., & Ganapathy, S. (2001) Antenatal care, care-seeking and morbidity in rural Karnataka, India: results of a prospective study, Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 16, pp. 11-28.

Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Agricultural Statistics at a Glance (Annual), (New Delhi: Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India).

Ministry of Finance (MOF). (2012a) Statistical Appendix, Economic Survey 2011-12 (New Delhi: Ministry of Finance, Government of India), available at: http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2011-12/estat1.pdf (accessed 28 April 2012).

Ministry of Finance (MOF). (2012b). State of the economy and prospects. Economic Survey 2011-12 (New Delhi: Ministry of Finance, Government of India), available at: http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2011-12/echap-01.pdf (accessed 24 July 12).

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). (2005) National Rural Health Mission (NRHM 2005-2012): Mission Document (New Delhi: Department of Family Welfare, Government of India).

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). (2009) National Health Accounts of India 2004-05, (New Delhi: National Health Accounts Cell, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India).

Moreno-Serra, R., & Smith, P. (2011) The effect of health coverage on population outcomes: a country-levels panel data analysis, Working Paper December 2011, (Washington DC: Results for Development, R4D Institutes).

Musgrove, P. (1996) Public and private roles in health: theory and financing patterns. Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) Discussion Paper 29290 (Washington, DC: World Bank).

National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) (2011). Level and Pattern of Consumer Expenditure: NSS 66th round, 2009-10 (New Delhi: National Sample Survey Office, National Statistical Organisation, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India).

Navaneetham, K., & Dharmalingam, A. (2002) Utilization of maternal health care services in south India, Social Science & Medicine, 55, pp. 1849-1869.

Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI). (2008) SRS based abridge life tables 2002-2006 (New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India).

Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report (yearly bulletin of 1988 to 2011) (New Delhi: Office of the Registrar General, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India).

Pallikadavath, S., Foss, M., & Stones, R.W. (2004) Antenatal care: provision and inequality in rural north India, Social Science & Medicine, 59, pp. 1147-1158.

Planning Commission, Government of India. (2009) Report of the expert group to review the methodology for estimation of poverty (New Delhi: Government of India), available at: http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_pov.pdf (accessed 02 June 2012).

Preker, A.S., Carrin, G., Dror, D. Jakab, M., Hsiao, W., & Arhin-Tenkorang, D. (2002) Effectiveness of community health financing in meeting the cost of illness, Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 80, pp. 143–150.

Rajkumar, A. S., & Swaroop, V. (2008) Public spending and outcomes: does governance matter? Journal of Development Economics, 86, pp. 96-111.

Ram, F., Ram, U., & Singh, A. (2006) Maternal mortality: is India programme prepared to meet the challenges, Journal of Health and Development, 2, pp. 67-80.

Ramarao, S., Celeb, L., Khan, M.E., & Townsend J.W. (2001) Safer maternal health in rural Uttar Pradesh: do primary health care services contribute? Health Policy and Planning, 16, pp. 256-263.

Rao, M. G., & Choudhury, M. (2012) Health care financing reforms in India. Working Paper 2012-100. (New Delhi: National Institute of Public Finance and Policy), available at: http://www.nipfp.org.in/newweb/sites/default/files/wp_2012_100.pdf (accessed 01 July 2012).

Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. Census of India (Decennial Census Report of 1981 to 2011), (New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India).

Reidpath, D.D., & Allotey, P. (2003) Infant mortality rate as an indicator of population health, Journal of Epidemiology Community Health, 57, pp. 344–346.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI). (2011) Net state domestic product at factor cost – state-wise (at current prices), Hand book of Statistics on the Indian Economy 2011 (Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India).

Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Revenue and capital expenditure of states and union territories with legislature (for the year 1985 to 2009). Annual publications of State finances: A study of budgets, available at: http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AnnualPublications.aspx?head=State+Finances+%3a+A+Study+of+Budgets (accessed 03 April 2012).

Sheridan, N.F., Kenealy, T.W., et al. (2011) Health equity in the New Zealand health care system: a national survey, International Journal for Equity in Health, 10, pp. 1-14.

Singh, A., Padamdas, S., Mishra, U.S., Pallikadavath, S., Johnson F.A., & Matthews, Z. (2012a) Socio-economic inequalities in the use of postnatal care in India, PLoS ONE, 7, e37037, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037037.

Singh, A., Pallikadavath, S., Ram, F., & Ogollah, R. (2012b). Inequalities in advice provided by public health workers to women during antenatal visits in India, PLoS ONE (Forthcoming).

Singh, A., Pathak, P.K., Chauhan, R.K., & Pan, W. (2011). Infant and child mortality in India in the last two decades: A Geospatial Analysis, PLoS ONE, 6, e26856, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026856.

Sunil, T.S., Rajaram, S., & Zottarrelli, L.K. (2006) Do individual program factors matter in the utilization of maternal care services in rural India? A theoretical approach, Social Science & Medicine, 62, pp. 1943-1957.

The Million Death Study Collaborators. (2010) Causes of neonatal and child mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey, The Lancet, 376, pp. 1853-1860. doi:10.1016/S0140-. 6736(10)61461-4.

Wagstaff, A., & Claeson, M. (2004) The Millennium Development Goals for Health: rising to the challenges, Report 29673 (Washington DC: World Bank).

Wagstaff, A. (2000) Socio-economic inequalities in child mortality: comparisons across nine developing countries, Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 78, pp. 19–29.

Wagstaff, A. (2002) Intersectoral Synergies and the Health MDGs: preliminary cross-country findings, corroboration and policy simulations, Background Paper for the Development Committee Accelerating Progress Towards the Health Nutrition and Population Millennium Development Goals (Washington DC: World Bank).

World Bank. (2004) World development report 2004: making services work for poor people, Report No. 26895 (Washington DC: World Bank).

World Health Organization (WHO). (2011). World Health Statistics 2011, available at: http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/ENWHS2011Full.pdf (accessed 23 April 2012).

World Health Organization (WHO). (2010) The World Health Report 2010, Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage, (Geneva: World Health Organization).