Institutional Quality and Health Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The objective of this research is to identify the institutional dimensions that are the most relevant to the improvement of health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. To this end, institutional quality measures are integrated into a health production model. This model is estimated by the Two-stage least squares method on a panel of 45 countries observed over the period 1996-2018. The data used are from the World Bank. The results show that the most relevant institutional dimensions that improve health outcomes in the region are by order: rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, voice and accountability and political stability and absence of violence. For these reasons, African decision-makers who often have limited resources can focus on a few key components of these institutional qualities or their combinations to improve health outcomes in their countries.