Beyond the direct effect of economic growth on child mortality in Sub‐Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?

Abstract

Using a sample of 45 Sub‐Saharan African countries over the 2000–2019 period, this paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the health effect of economic growth. Specifically, it investigates the direct effect of economic growth on child mortality as well as the indirect effect through environmental degradation. Findings from panel‐corrected standard errors, feasible generalized least squares, and Driscoll and Kraay standard errors show that economic growth has significantly decreased infant and under‐five mortality rates in Sub‐Saharan Africa. However, results from the mediation analysis reveal that, beyond its direct effect, economic growth has an indirect effect on under‐five mortality through greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing green growth policies should help minimize the indirect negative effect of economic growth on child mortality in Sub‐Saharan African countries.

Achieving the “zero hunger” goal in Africa: Beyond the direct effects of infrastructure development

“…A structural equation modeling method (sem command in STATA) is used to assess the magnitude and importance of the indirect, conditional, or mediated effect. Fotio et al (2023) previously employed this framework in their investigation on the transmission channels from economic growth to infant mortality. Figure 3 summarizes the relationship from infrastructure development to PoU through the mediators.…”

“…Also, most businesses operating in East and West Africa have to rely on backup generators coupled with frequent power outages, which hinders sustained production and reduces maternal and child food intake (Soriano & Garrido, 2016). Second, Fotio et al (2023) highlight that the share of non-renewable energy is still unacceptably high in Africa, which has, as a consequence, pollution. The authors further explained how this pollution mostly in terms of rising CO 2 emissions deteriorates health status of children in Africa.…”