Convergence of Per Capita Health Expenditures and Health Outcomes in Countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization

Subject Areas : medical documents

Aziz  Rezapour ¹ (Associate Professor, Department of Health Economics, School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Samira  Alipour ² (M.Sc. in Health Economics, School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Vahid  Alipour ³ (Assistant Professor, Department of Health Economics, School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Maryam  Soleymani Movahed ⁴ (Assistant Professor, Department of Health Economics, School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2018-12-11 Accepted : 2019-03-01 Published : 2019-02-20

Keywords: Beta Convergence, Sigma Convergence, Health Outcomes, Per Capita Health Expenditures, Stochastic Convergence,

Abstract :

Introduction: Economic growth in rich countries tends to slow down naturally, so the growth process will ultimately lead to convergence. The aim of this study is to investigate the convergence of per capita health expenditures and health outcomes in countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical Study that was done with the economic data of the countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization in 1995 -2014 and using EViews software version 10. Stochastic convergence using Panel Unit-Root test, and also the standard deviation of log per capita health expenditures and health outcomes have been used to evaluate sigma convergence, and beta convergence with estimating the panel data convergence model. Results: Absolute and conditional stochastic convergence in per capita health expenditures were not approved in ECO countries. The coefficient of the absolute beta convergence of per capita health expenditure in ECO countries was 0.29. The conditional beta convergence coefficient was 0.30 in countries with high human development and that was 0.01 in countries with medium human development. The life expectancy Beta convergence coefficient was 0.28 in ECO-countries and 1.16 for the under-five mortality rate. There is no sigma convergence. Conclusion: Based on the results, the non - convergence of per capita health expenditure and health outcomes divergence show an increase in disparity and revealthat poorer countries have improved their health at a much slower rate than their wealthier member in ECO. Therefore, it is necessary that ECO policies be planned and implemented with the aim of reducing regional differences.

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