While previous studies have neglected the spatial interaction effects in modelling healthcare expenditure across countries, this study provides the first thorough spatial analysis of public healthcare expenditures between countries so far. It investigates the determinants of public healthcare expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) using a balanced panel of 43 SSA countries over the period 2000 to 2015. Both spatial interdependence and individual heterogeneity are accounted for through the application of the spatial autoregressive model so as to avoid potential bias and inefficiencies in parameter estimates. In addition to statistically significant effects of income, population density, official development assistance, and political stability, the results indicate the existence of positive spatial dependence in public healthcare expenditure in SSA. This suggests that governments in SSA countries tend to base their decision to allocate healthcare expenditure on that of nearby countries. Moreover, the results reveal significant impacts of population density and official development assistance of neighbouring countries on a country's level of public healthcare expenditure.
Mainstream economics perceive an individual as highly individualistic, presuming that he/ she consumes goods in the most efficient way to optimize his/her level of happiness. This study attempts to explore the nexus between socioeconomic dimensions, basic needs, luxuries and personality traits and happiness in Mauritius. Material consumption and happiness are projected to be positively and strongly related. This is usually illuminated in terms of the increased possibilities to satisfy basic needs and luxuries along with other motives which additional spending provides. Other instrumental aspects of consumption, such as its relative, community-based and hedonic magnitudes are accounted. Cross-sectional data are compiled from a household survey with a sample size of 1015 observations. To conduct the analysis, an ordered probit model is applied. The general conclusion is drawn upon the results that socioeconomic indicators like educational attainment, residential location, family size, income in addition to the intermediate needs deprivation index, brand consciousness, fashion innovativeness, commercial interest, shopping enjoyment, hedonism, bandwagon effect and personality traits are significantly related to people's happiness.
Mauritius has a universal free healthcare system, based on the Beveridge model which is financed by taxpayers. There are growing considerations over improving quality of healthcare services. The purpose of the study is to employ a contingency valuation (CV) to investigate the willingness of Mauritians people to pay to improve the quality of public healthcare services and the associated determinants using the double-bounded dichotomous choice model. A drop off survey with a sample size of 974 respondents from the working population is used. The empirical analysis shows that the majority of the sample was willing to pay for improving quality of public healthcare services. Other than the conventional determinants of respondents’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the findings support the assertion that psycho-social constructs such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Norm-Activation, Public Good Theory, and Perceived Response Efficacy are found to significantly affect Willingness-to-Pay (WTP). The results of this study might be of use to policymakers to help with both priority setting and fund allocation.
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