PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE AND HEALTH OUTCOME: A STUDY OF INFANT MORTALITY RATE IN KOGI STATE

Abstract

The study examined public health expenditure and infant mortality rate in Kogi State using time series data that spanned the period of 1986 to 2020 sourced from State Bureau of Statistics, Lokoja. The study used Autogressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation technique Based on the result, it was revealed increase in Public Health Recurrent Spending led decrease in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Kogi State. This revealed that Public Health Recurrent Spending has negative impact on Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Nigeria. Hence, Public Health Recurrent Spending had significant negative impact on Infant Mortality Rate in Kogi Statewithin the study period. The increase in Public Health Capital Spending led to decrease in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Kogi State. This implied that Public Health Capital Spending had significant negative impact on Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Kogi State. Hence, Public Health Capital Spending had significant negative impact on Infant Mortality Rate in Kogi Statewithin the study period. The study based on the findings recommended that government should ensure there is substantial increase in government expenditure on health in order to achieve the desired level of infant mortality rate in Kogi State. This can be achieved through increase in both public recurrent and capital expenditure on health in Nigeria. Finally, government should design a long term policy framework to enhance proper utilization of public health expenditure in terms of both recurrent and capital towards reducing infant mortality rate to the barest minimum level in Kogi State