The effect of carbon emissions and health expenditure on health outcomes in SubSaharan Africa

Health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa are characteristically poor and differ across its sub-regions. Carbon emission continues to fluctuate at high levels possibly due to the increasing use of non-renewable energy forms for economic activities. The study analyzed the effect of carbon emission and health expenditure, on health outcomes for sub-Saharan Africa and its four sub-regions. A disaggregated analysis was applied to panel data for Sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000 to 2022. The moderating effect of public health expenditure on CO ₂ emissions and its impact on health outcomes life expectancy and under-five mortality was also examined using the static panel estimation technique. The results revealed that carbon dioxide emission was detrimental to both life expectancy and under-five mortality rates. However, the interaction between CO2 and government spending on healthcare reduced the negative effect of carbon emission on both health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and some of its subregions. The study recommended that governments in sub-Saharan Africa increase spending on health care to protect its populace from the adverse effects of carbon emissions. Governments in the respective subregions should focus on deploying resources toward developing renewable energy sources to make an effective energy source that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This study underscores the need to perform a disaggregated analysis based on the four sub-regions namely, West, Southern, Central, and East Africa. Secondly, the study considers the moderating effect of public health expenditure on CO ₂ emissions and its impact on health outcomes.