Public Expenditures on Healthcare and Health Outcomes among Selected Residents in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Implementing effective healthcare service delivery to promote quality health outcome in developing countries seems to be a difficult task given the low amounts usually budgeted for the health sector (World Health Organization, 2018). Most states in Nigeria including Cross River find it difficult in meeting the health needs of the citizens, thus, leading to poor health outcomes in the state. This poor state of health outcome amongst most residents of Cross River in recent years has become an issue of major concern. This is evident in the low life expectancy and pitiable physical functioning, role malfunctioning, social underperformance, pain and mental ill-health of some persons in the study area. There are allergies, colds and flu, conjunctivitis (pink eye), diarrhea, headaches, mononucleosis and stomach aches amongst some residents in Cross River State. These health phenomena did not start just in a day because from 1996 to 2019, there was an impulsive influx of meningococcal meningitis and cholera in Northern Cross River (Federal Ministry of Health, 2020). Design/Methodology/Approach: This study investigated the influence of public expenditures on healthcare and health outcomes among selected residents in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Four specific objectives and four hypotheses were developed for the study. Survey research design was adopted and a 24-item validated questionnaire was used for data collection. It has two sections: Section A and B. Section A elicited responses on the demographic characteristics of respondents while Section B focused on public expenditures on healthcare and health outcome variables. Each sub-independent variable of the study was measured by six items. Each of the subscales constituted a 4 point Likert scale. Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to establish the reliability at .79. The study covered some selected residence in Cross River State. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select a sample of five hundred (500) respondents drawn from health workers, in-patients and outpatients as well as residents of the study area. In order to make a good randomization in the study, the study area was divided into eighteen basic clusters to represent each Local Government Area. Two trained research assistants who were health workers from the eighteen Local Government Areas were used to administer the questionnaires and also conduct the interviews. One–Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical tool was used for data analysis. Findings: The Findings revealed that public expenditures in healthcare in terms of provision of health services, family planning activities, nutritional activities and emergency aids did not significantly influence health outcome in the study area. Conclusion: It was concluded that there is no significant influence of public expenditures on healthcare and health outcomes among selected residents in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It is therefore recommended among others that sanctions and strict disciplinary measures should be administered by State government on culprits who are caught in misappropriating public expenditures in healthcare services as this would serve as a deterrent to other intending wrongdoers.