EFFECT OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH AND EDUCATION ON MATERNAL AND UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY IN NIGERIA
- Chukwuedo Susan Oburota
- Ihuoma Chikulirim Eke
- Frances Ngozi Obafemi
- ( paper pages. 1-24 )
Abstract
Health outcomes in
Nigeria remain particularly poor, with women and children being
disproportionately affected.
This study analyses the effect of public expenditure on health and education on
maternal and under-five mortality in Nigeria. The theoretical framework for the
study is adapted from Grossman’s (1972) model. The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to estimate time series data obtained from the
World Development Indicators, spanning 1980-2023. The study's findings indicate
that public expenditure on education decreased maternal mortality rates in both
the short- and long-term, whereas public spending on health did not reduce
under-five mortality rates. The ratio of midwives per population decreased
deaths among women of reproductive ages over the long term. Measures of access
to health care, such as the number of physicians per population, vaccination
coverage, and skilled birth delivery, did not have a significant impact on
children under five. It is recommended that government increase health expenditure,
particularly in the areas that promote women's and children's health, such as
increased access to antenatal care, vaccination coverage, and increasing the
number of physicians and midwives available to these population groups.
Citation
Chukwuedo Susan Oburota, Ihuoma Chikulirim Eke, Frances Ngozi Obafemi.
2026.
"EFFECT OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH AND EDUCATION ON MATERNAL AND UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY IN NIGERIA"
The Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies,
68 (1): 1-24.
