Working Papers
Can Disaster Preparedness Change the Game? Mitigating the Health Impact of Disease Outbreaks
No.
1466
Publisher
ERF
Date
March, 2021
Topic
H5. National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
I1. Health
In times of epidemics and pandemics, depletion or diversion of health system resources from routine health care is common, posing serious threats to primary care. This paper estimates the contemporaneous and long-run effects of health disasters on maternal and child mortality in 111 countries during 2000-2019 using two-way fixed-effects and two-step system general method of moments frameworks. We also provide evidence that indicates how health system, macroeconomic, institutional, and structural characteristics can mitigate disaster effects. In low- and middle-income countries, health disasters increase maternal, under-5, and neonatal mortalities by 0.3%, 0.3%, and 0.2% instantaneously and by 35%, 80%, and 26% after one year, respectively. Our estimates show that disaster preparedness can prevent these effects. However, other mitigators, namely health emergency finance, universal health coverage, education, gender equality, and water, sanitation, and hygiene coverage, have greater impact.
Research Associates
Amira El-Shal
Acting Associate Director of Research, J-PAL MENA
Senior Associates
Mahmoud Mohieldin
Professor, Department of Economics - Cairo University,...
Research Associates
Eman Moustafa
Research Manager, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)