Dissecting the Effect of Public Health Expenditure on Infant and Maternal Mortality: A Case of Nigeria

This study investigates the relationship between government health expenditure and health outcomes in Nigeria from 1980 to 2022. This period was selected to capture the evolving dynamics and recent changes within the health sector. Data were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletins and World Development Indicators (WDI). Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lagged (ARDL) technique, key findings reveal that neither infant nor maternal mortality rates Granger cause government health expenditure, nor does government health expenditure Granger cause these mortality rates. Additionally, past trends of infant mortality significantly influence current rates, indicating a positive association. The study also finds that increased government health expenditure has a marginally negative effect on infant mortality, reducing it by 0.001 to 0.002 units, although its impact on maternal mortality is statistically insignificant. The findings suggest that while government health spending has a limited effect on reducing mortality rates, the relationship between health inputs and outcomes remains complex. The study underscores the need for adopting advanced healthcare technologies to effectively reduce infant mortality in Nigeria.