Impact of under-five mortality on economic growth and health-care expenditures in India

Abstract

Introduction: Under-five mortalities are the significant vital indicators of the population health condition and the social development of the country. Child survival is measured by the under-five mortality rate (U5MR). It also reflects the social, economic, and environmental circumstances, as well as their health care. Our main objective is to determine the impact of the U5MR on economic growth changes and health-care expenditure and examine the sex difference trend of under-five mortalities. Materials and Methods: We have retrieved data from World Bank Indicators from 2005 to 2017, with under-five mortality as the independent variable and health expenditure as a dependent variable. We used correlation analysis to assess the impact of under-five mortalities on economic growth and health-care expenditure in Rstudio (open-source software). Results: The U5MR was higher in females than in males. The correlation of mortality rate, under-five (per 1000 live births) with current health expenditure per capita, domestic general government health expenditure per capita, and domestic private health expenditure per capita was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Accordingly, political stability, effective social sector policies, and government interventions are essential for reducing under-five mortality. The human health force’s participation in macro and micro policy-making is also necessary, and other determinants of health-care expenses should be critically examined.