Is it Possible to Describe a Kuznets Curve for Health Outcomes? An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the relationship between economic growth and health outcomes under the Kuznets Curve (KC) hypothesis for 60 developing countries during the period 1995 to 2010 using unbalanced panel data method and the health production function model. The results show that the turning points and shapes of the Health Kuznets Curve (HKC) change based on the kind of health proxy variables, suggesting that there is not a specific HKC for health outcomes. Thus, health policies need to be "customized" for each health indicator and not standardized. Moreover, based on these results, health policies that ignore the detrimental effects of pollution may not deliver the full realizable health gains that could be derived from higher socioeconomic levels.

Key words: Developing countries, Economic growth, Health status, Kuznets curve.
JEL: I15.

U ovom radu istražujemo odnos između ekonomskog rasta i ishoda zdravstva prema hipotezi Kuznetsove krive (KC) za 60 zemalja u razvoju u periodu od 1995. do 2010. godine, koristeći neuravnoteženi metod panel podataka i model funkcionisanja zdravstvene proizvodnje. Rezultati pokazuju da se prelomne tačke i oblici zdravstvene Kuznetsove krive (HKC) menjaju u zavisnosti od vrste zdravstvenih proksi varijabli, što ukazuje na to da nema specifičnog HKC za zdravstvene rezultate. Prema tome, zdravstvene politike moraju biti “prilagođene” za svaki indikator zdravlja i nisu standardizovane. Osim toga, na osnovu ovih rezultata, zdravstvene politike koje ignoriraju štetne efekte zagađenja ne mogu dati potpune ostvarljive zdravstvene dobitke koje mogu biti izvedene sa viših socijalno-ekonomskih nivoa.

Ključne reči: zemlje u razvoju, ekonomski rast, zdravstveni status, Kuznetsova kriva.