Public Health Investment and Health Outcomes: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Healthy people is the precious asset of a nation as healthy workforce act as an active agent of growth and help the nation in achieving its economic and social goals at global level. Assuming the importance of a good health, a good amount of health investment is desirable. Moreover, India is a home to the largest poor population which cannot meet its own basic needs of lives as health, education, housing, drinking water, and sanitation etc. These are the basic facilities to live and enjoying them is the fundamental right of the people, therefore government need to make arrangements for the assured provision of these basic facilities. With this regard government of India is making investment in social development of the country through various channels. The present paper is an attempt to assess the health investment and specifically to analyze its effect on the health status of India. In this perspective, the present study focused to analyze the relationship of health investment in terms of per capita health expenditure and health outcomes with respect to health indicators of Crude Birth Rate, Crude Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Total Fertility Rate of India, from the period of 2000-01 to 2014-15. The findings of the study concluded that public health spending significantly affect the health indictors in a positive way and helped government in achieving its health goals.