PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE AND MATERNAL MORTALITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of public health expenditure on maternal mortality in Nigeria from 2002 to 2021. To achieve this objective, the study utilized data on maternal death, total government expenditure on health, and migration of doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria - doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria but working in other countries from OECD Health Statistics, 2021, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, the United Nations Population Division, and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The study employed an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds testing technique for data analyses. The result revealed that in the long run, total government expenditure on health has a negative and significant relationship with maternal mortality in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the migration of doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria - doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria but working in other countries have a positive and significant relationship with maternal mortality in Nigeria. In the short run, total government expenditure on health has a positive and significant relationship with maternal mortality in Nigeria. At the same time, the migration of doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria - doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria but working in other countries has a negative and significant relationship with maternal mortality in Nigeria. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended here that the government should step up investment in all components of health infrastructure to cope with the explosive population growth requiring medical services in Nigeria. Put differently, a crucial effort should be made by the government to channel more funds to the health sector in order to improve health standards, reduce the mortality rate and hence the life expectancy of the citizens since a healthy population and workforce is a major ingredient for rapid and sustainable productivity and growth.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0004/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>