An Empirical Analysis of the Status of Country-level Public Health

Abstract

ObjectivesOur research investigates the phenomenon of global public health at a country level using the emerging field of analytics. We explore different dimensions to better understand the macro-issues and guide policy-making. MethodsWe analyze global public health with World Bank data for income per capita of 214 countries and using 13 public health indicators: adolescent fertility rate, immunizations for DPT, immunizations for measles, life expectancy, birth rate, death rate, health expenditure per capita, improved sanitation, incidence of tuberculosis, infant mortality rate, population aged 65 and older, population growth, and prevalence of HIV. ResultsOur analyses show that overall income per capita is positively associated with increase in immunizations for DPT and measles, life expectancy, health expenditure, infant mortality rate, population aged 65 and older; and negatively associated with adolescent fertility rate, birth and death rates, improved sanitation, incidence of tuberculosis, population growth, and prevalence of HIV. ConclusionsOur results identify a portfolio of areas that show improvement and warrant attention. The lack of association for high-income countries with improvement in sanitation calls for a realignment of resources in this direction. The increasing population aged 65 and over reinforces the need for policies that address that demographic. Drawing our attention are the increasing association of income with infant mortality as well as the lack of association with the prevalence of HIV. Our global perspectives on the favorable and adverse impacts of income on public health should guide future policy and investment decisions for sustainable global health.