Abstract:

Health promotion is seen as a fundamental right, as health is of vital importance. Therefore, it is important to reveal the impact of public health spending and public social spending, which are considered to be important determinants of health, on health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the effects of both public health and social spendings on health outcomes among OECD countries. Public health spending and social spending were evaluated as independent variables and life expectancy at birth, life expectancy at birth for males and females, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate were evaluated as the dependent variables. Data were collected from OECD database and it covers the years between 2006 and 2017 for all OECD countries. Panel data analysis was conducted where pooled, fixed and random effect models were estimated. According to findings of the study, public health and social spendings had an impact on life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate, but not on maternal mortality rate. The coefficients of explaining the life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate of social spending were higher than health spending. In order to increase life expectancy at birth and reduce the infant mortality rate, it is recommended that OECD countries should attach importance to social spending. Identifying the relationship between both health and social spendings and health outcomes provides foundations for national policy for health improvements.

Keywords: