Population health and its contributions to economic growth: A critical review

Abstract

This conceptual paper explores the role of health in influencing the development of human capital and economic growth of a country. Recognising the importance and impact of health in facilitating a country‟s socio-economic development, more and more countries allocate a large proportion of their national budgets to improve the health status of their populations. Despite the fact that this fiscal investment or allocation is sizable and informs health policies and associated strategic allocation of resources for sustaining or improving a nation‟s health status, there is currently a dearth of published information asserting what specific combination of key factors (or indicators) underpin good health and how these may have a positive repeatable influence on a country‟s economic growth. Despite a growing appreciation that good health contributes to economic growth, limited published information also exists on what specific „surrogate‟ indicators may be universally used to measure and predict the relationship between health and economic growth other than life expectancy, mortality and fertility rates. Further studies exploring or elucidating the role of these and other likely health indicators on economic growth and how these indicators may vary in terms of influence from one country to the next are merited. Identifying the inter-relationship and possibly synergies between relevant health indicators can provide insight and guidance to governments and policy makers in fiscal planning, thus ensuring a positive alignment between good population health and economic growth.