The impact of HIV/AIDS expenditure on health outcomes in Sub-Sahara African countries

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Date
2015
Authors
Ndung'u, Gabriel Waweru
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Over the last three decades, the global HIV/AIDS prevention community has developed a portfolio of proven strategies that can be deployed to reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV. The response to HIV/AIDS pandemic is related to international health outcomes with three of the eight millennium development goals being allied to increase spending on health issues. In Africa, funds have been channeled to subsidize the delivery of AIDS education and health care service which will benefit citizens in improving health status, raising literacy as well as expand opportunities for economic and social wellbeing. At the end of 2011, 0.8 percent of adults were living with HIV globally, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 69 percent of people who were living with HIV worldwide. This represented a significant increase from 1990 where the HIV prevalence rate was 0.21 percent. The incidence rate has also revealed a rising trend. In 1990, incidence rate was 0.03 percent and in 2011, the rate stood at 0.04 percent. On the other hand, there has been a rising trend in HIV/AIDS expenditure from $ 4 Billion in 2002 to $ 17.1 Billion in 2008. Even though many resources have been used to combat HIVIAIDs in sub-Saharan African countries, the actual effect of this spending has not yet been empirically assessed. The main objective of this study was to establish the effect of HIV/AIDS expenditure on health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. To achieve the specific objectives of this study, HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, HIV/AIDS Incidence rate and HIV related mortality rate were regressed on HIV/AIDS expenditure, number of people tested, number of antiretroviral therapy, preventions of mother to child transmissions, doctor population and literacy rates. The study adopted a longitudinal research design whereby data from 11 sub-Saharan countries on HIV/AIDS expenditure and health outcomes over a number of years was analyzed. The study conformed to a number of studies that have shown that there is a relationship between HIV/AIDS expenditure and health outcomes. The study recommended increase HIV/AIDS expenditure allocations that will in turn lead to improved health outcomes in sub-Sahara African countries.
Description
A research project submitted to the department of applied economics in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of masters of economics (finance) of Kenyatta University
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