FOOD INFLATION AND CHILD HEALTH IN AFRICA: EVIDENCE FROM COUNTRIES WITH HIGH MISERY INDEX

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of food price inflation on the public health improvement as measured in terms of life expectancy, infant mortality rate, under five mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate in six selected African countries with high misery index for the period from 2000 to 2020. The Augmented Mean Group and Common Correlated Estimation Mean Group were used to determine the effect, as well as Westerlund Cointegration tests. Our findings revealed that rising food prices have a significant detrimental effect on nourishment and consequently lead to higher levels of infant under five and neonatal mortality while reducing the expected life expectancy in the African countries. High food price inflation also has a long run effect on public health. The implication of the result shows that with high rate of food prices coupled with poor child health, the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under age of 5, and the aim of having a neonatal mortality rate of 12 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births, and an under-five mortality rate of 25 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births, by 2030 may not be realistic. Therefore, African Governments should gear up efforts towards reducing food price inflation, improving health expenditure, per capita income and enabling environment for safe sanitation, especially for pregnant women and little children. Also, Governments should create enabling environment for sanitation and access to safe drinking water.