Determinants of Health Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Further Evidence from Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) Approach

Abstract

A nation’s progress is largely influenced by its state of health. This is so because a healthy people are not only able to work and support themselves, but are able to make a significant contribution to the socio-economic expansion and improvement to the community in which they reside. One of the major limitations to achieving the above fit is the increasing health disparity in the larger ecosystemn. And, despite the several initiatives and programmes developed to narrow the growing health gap across the various social strata among individuals around the world, it still persists. Motivated by the need to bridge this rising health gap, this study examines the determinants of health dispraities within the context of sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2004 to 2022, using the panel feasible/estimated generalised least squares. The results revealed that while public health spending per capita, income per capita, and health-oriented net official development assistance negatively and statistically impacted on health inequality, unemployment and income poverty positively and significantly impacted on halth inequality in sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, the paper recommends, amongst others, the urgent need for policy makers in SSA region to pay greater attention to budgetry allocations to the health sector for the provision of health insurance and quality and affordable healthcare services. Such efforts should be complemented with the formulaion of workable, active, measurable and employment-based policies across SSA region, aimed at creating stable and profitable jobs for the unemployed and under-employed masses.

Keywords: Health, Inequality, Poverty, Income, Budget.