EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT HEALTH EXPENDITURE ON MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOME IN NIGERIA

Abstract

High maternal mortality has been one of the challenges confronting developing countries, including Nigeria. Maternal health conditions become more worrisome when the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) failed to achieve its health target by year 2015. Given this background, this study examined the effect of government health expenditure on maternal health outcome in Nigeria. Data were sourced from the World Development Indicator (WDI) from 1980 – 2018; and analyzed within the ARDL framework due to the different orders of integration of the series. The results showed that lagged maternal mortality ratio – MMR (P<0.050), government health expenditure - GHEXP (P<0.05), number of physicians per thousand LPHY (P<0.05) and GDP per capita (P<0.1) reduced maternal mortality rate significantly in the short run, while GHEXP (P<0.05), female school enrolment - FSEN (P<0.05), and GDPPC (P<0.05) significantly reduced MMR in the long run. Based on these findings, the study recommended improved funding of the health sector among others, in order to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria and be able to meet up with SDG3 target.