Health Status and Labour Force Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

Abstract

Sub-Saharan African countries face significant health challenges, with several countries still far from reaching the health-related targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The implication of this on economic growth and individual welfare is daunting. An important channel through which population health affects economic performance is labour supply and productivity. The objective of the study was to investigate a macro level relationship between population health status and labour force participation in sub-Saharan Africa. The study used panel data covering 46 countries from 1990 to 2011. A dynamic panel data model was estimated using the generalized method of moments. The results show that population health status (measured by life expectancy at birth) relates positively with labour force participation. The relationship was significant for total and female labour force participation. The findings call for improved population health status following the importance of labour force participation at the macro levels. Improved labour force contributes to the economic performance of a country at the macro level. Effective policy efforts should be directed towards providing facilities that will improve population health hence providing enough healthy time to participate in the labour force.Note: Labour force participation rate is measured as a percentage of population aged 15-64.

Financial Inclusion and Health Shocks: A Panel Data Analysis of 36 African Countries

“…Thus, the study concluded that all the 36 countries in Africa were heterogeneous; that is, POL model is insignificant to explain the impact of financial inclusion on longevity in Africa. This was consistent with the studies of Novignon et al (2015) that nations in Africa are not the same.…”

“…However, little is known about the extent to which financial inclusion affects health shocks in Africa, where formal health insurance is hardly accessible and limited. Observably, African countries lagged behind in the attainment of health-and welfare-related of recent past Millennium Development Goals (Novignon et al, 2015) perhaps because most Africans depend largely on out-of-pocket payments for medical-care services during their health shocks experiences. Health shocks, the unpredictable illnesses that reduce longevity and that quickly diminish health status of individuals (Leivea and Xub, 2008) is often sudden events.…”

The Impact of Health on Labour Force Participation in South Africa

“…Antiretroviral treatment of HIV1 patients in Kenya resulted in increased LFP (Thirumurthy et al, 2008), while HIV1 mine workers who later developed AIDS recorded a fivefold increase in absenteeism in Botswana (Habyarimana et al, 2008). Novignon et al (2015) found a positive and significant relationship between population health and LFP in the general and female populations in sub-Saharan Africa.…”

“…Novignon et al . () found a positive and significant relationship between population health and LFP in the general and female populations in sub‐Saharan Africa.…”

Hormonal contraceptive use and women’s labour supply: Qualitative evidence from Kayonza District In Rwanda

“…Health capital determines individuals' labour productivity (Bridges & Lanson, 2011;Novignon et al, 2015;Straus & Thomas, 1995;Thomas & Straus, 1997) and labour participation (Lavy et al, 1995;Handa & Neitzert, 1999as cited in Bridges & Lanson, 2011. Poor health could reduce one's hours of labour supply or days worked (Pitt & Rosenweig, 1986;Ulimwengu, 2009), and one's health status has a significant impact on his/her participation in labour wages (Straus &Thomas, 1995;Mwabu, 2008;Novignon et al, 2015). Extended periods of illness are highly likely to have a negative impact on one's ability to supply labour and could affect the household's productivity (Ulimwengu, 2009).…”