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Over the past few decades, China&rsquo ; s rapid economic, energy, and industrial developments have caused serious environmental damage. However, as there are large resource, energy use, economic, and environmental damage differences across Chinese regions, the Chinese government is seeking to reduce city pollution across the country. Most previous analyses have only looked at these issues on a single level ; for example, the impact of environmental pollution on health, or energy and environmental efficiency analyses, but there have been few studies that have conducted overall analyses. Further, many of the methods that have been used in previous research have employed one-stage radial or non-radial analyses without considering regional differences. Therefore, this paper developed a meta undesirable two-stage EBM DEA model to analyze the energy, environment, health, and media communication efficiencies in 31 Chinese cities, from which it was found that the productivity efficiency in most cities was better than the health treatment efficiencies, the GDP and fixed asset efficiency improvements were small, the air quality index (AQI) and CO2 efficiencies varied widely between the cities, media report and governance inputs were generally inefficient, the birth rate efficiencies were better than the respiratory disease efficiencies, and the technical gap was best in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Lhasa. Also, it found that high-income cities have a higher technology gap than upper middle&ndash ; income cities, and media reports efficiency have a high correlation with respiratory diseases and CO2.

Over the past few decades, China's rapid economic, energy, and industrial developments have caused serious environmental damage. However, as there are large resource, energy use, economic, and environmental damage differences across Chinese regions, the Chinese government is seeking to reduce city pollution across the country. Most previous analyses have only looked at these issues on a single level; for example, the impact of environmental pollution on health, or energy and environmental efficiency analyses, but there have been few studies that have conducted overall analyses. Further, many of the methods that have been used in previous research have employed one-stage radial or non-radial analyses without considering regional differences. Therefore, this paper developed a meta undesirable two-stage EBM DEA model to analyze the energy, environment, health, and media communication efficiencies in 31 Chinese cities, from which it was found that the productivity efficiency in most cities was better than the health treatment efficiencies, the GDP and fixed asset efficiency improvements were small, the air quality index (AQI) and CO(2) efficiencies varied widely between the cities, media report and governance inputs were generally inefficient, the birth rate efficiencies were better than the respiratory disease efficiencies, and the technical gap was best in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Lhasa. Also, it found that high-income cities have a higher technology gap than upper middle–income cities, and media reports efficiency have a high correlation with respiratory diseases and CO(2).

Health inputs are critical in attaining a healthy nation and improving health outcomes. Kenya, like other developing countries, grapples with limited health expenditures and poor population health indicators. Specifically, Kenya is yet to achieve the allocation of least 15% of the government's annual budget to improve the health sector as enshrined in the Abuja Declaration. Though there is an improvement with regards to infant mortality rate decreasing from 96.6 per 1, 000 live birth in 1970 to 30.6 per 1, 000 live birth in 2018. This indicator of population health outcome is currently far below the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of reducing the under five mortality rate to as low as 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. The literature suggests that increase in government's budgetary allocation to the health sector can improve country's health outcomes. Evidence on the impact of health expenditures on health outcomes is mixed and limited in developing countries. This study aims to analyze the impact of public health expenditures on health outcomes, among other control variables in Kenya. The study uses time series data from 1970 to 2018. The variables are found to be integrated of different orders suggesting the choice of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. ARDL provides a useful link between long run equilibrium relationships and short run disequilibrium dynamics is estimated. The ARDL bounds test suggests presence of cointegration thus leading to the estimation of Error Correction Model (ECM). The findings suggest that improvements in public health expenditures enhance health outcomes in Kenya. The control variablesthat are found to be important determinants of infant mortality rate in Kenya include the national income and number of hospital beds per 100, 000. The study recommends that Kenyan government should increase annual budgetary allocation to health sector. Such increase is likely to lead to investments in physical and human capital in the health sector thus translating to improved health outcomes in Kenya.

We examine how political institutions influence health expenditure by using a panel of 151 developing and developed countries for the years 2000 to 2015 and four measures of democracy. Our pooled OLS analysis shows that democracies have 20-30% higher government health expenditure relative to GDP than their autocratic counterparts. An instrumental variable approach which exploits the regional diffusion of democracy confirms the positive effect of democracy on government health expenditure. Panel fixed effects and event study models also suggest a positive within-country effect of democratization on government health expenditure within a short period after regime transition. Democratic rule, however, does not turn out to significantly influence private health expenditure compared to autocracies. We conclude that democracies may care more for their citizens and strive to decrease inequalities in the access to health care.

This study evaluates the impact of health care expenditure by the government on health sector outcomes in Pakistan by using data from the period 1982 to 2016. To examine whether the variables are stationary, the ADF test is run whereas the relationship among the variables is tested through the ARDL model technique. The empirical result from the regression equation shows that healthcare expenditure affects significantly the health sector outcome i.e., a decrease in infant deaths in the long run. Bilateral and multilateral fund assistance becomes a part of health expenditure in less progressive countries which is helpful for increasing the resource allocation in the vital segment of the economy. Hence funds allocated for health care expenditure need to be sensibly utilized because it will help in achieving a portion of the Millennium Development Goals. Improved wellbeing can be achieved as an outcome of enhanced capacities of the health sector as a result of the proper allocation of public healthcare funds.

The study examines the long run relationship between public health expenditure and under-five mortality rate in 15 West African countries over the period of 1991-2015 with the use of panel fully modified least square (FMOLS). The empirical analysis is made up of both aggregate and disaggregated model. Based on the findings, long run relationship between per capita health expenditure and under-five mortality rate is confirmed. Further evidence indicates that public health expenditure has a significant impact on the rate of under-five mortality. Thus, it is revealed that an increase in health expenditure among West African countries would lead to a drastic reduction in infant mortality rate in the region. Furthermore, it is asserted that institutional quality, female literacy rate and immunization are central for reducing under-five mortality rate in the region. Hence, it is suggested that the quality of institutions, female literacy rate and immunizations which are often neglected in the literature should be accorded considerable priority in policy formulations. Also, governments of West African countries should increase the rate of health expenditure in their respective countries.

"A publication of the Geographic Health Studies, John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences." ; Includes bibliographical references and index. ; Mode of access: Internet.

In this thesis, we will discuss private expenditure on health and voluntary private health insurance (PHI). The two themes are linked since private expenditure represents the market for PHI. Knowing and understanding private expenditure on health is a prerequisite for PHI to respond to consumer needs and to improve welfare. The following issues will be addressed in this thesis: (i) the reliability of OECD Health Statistics; (ii) supplementary physicians' fees; (iii) access to new health technologies; (iv) the regulation of PHI markets and (v) the optimal design of PHI products ; In this thesis, several issues relating to private expenditure on health and voluntary private health insurance (PHI) are being discussed. The two themes are closely linked since expenditure covered by PHI is a part of private expenditure on health. The other part is out-of-pocket expenditure on health. In the European Union (EU), private expenditure represents -on average- 21 per cent of total expenditure on health. Three quarters of private expenditure on health is financed out-of-pocket. PHI finances only 5 per cent of total health spending in the EU. Out-of-pocket expenditure on health may negatively affect access to health care. Especially people on low incomes and in poor health are at risk. They may postpone or forgo necessary treatment because they are not able to pay the bill. In this study, we have focused on two issues relating to out-of-pocket expenditure on health: (i) extra payments guaranteeing free choice of provider (supplementary fees) and (ii) extra payments guaranteeing access to new health technology. Voluntary private health insurance (PHI) can reduce the financial risk related to private health spending. In this thesis, two issues relating to PHI have been addressed: (i) regulation of PHI markets and (ii) optimal design of PHI products.