Urbanization and Health Status in the West African Economic and Monetary Union : Is there a threshold effect ?

Résumé

This paper investigates the effects of increased urbanization on health
status for members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
Using a panel threshold regression technique, we find that an increase in
the urban growth above a critical threshold of 3.7 percent is not beneficial
for selected health indicators, namely life expectancy, mortality rates
among adult females and children under-five years old. Additionally,
above the threshold, we also find empirical evidence of a stronger and
positive impact of improved access to sanitation facilities and health
expenditures on health outcomes. This finding has two significant health
policy implications. First, designing policies to ameliorate access to
improved sanitation facilities is essential in reducing the effect of
uncontrolled urbanization on health status. Second, health expenditures
stemming from non-profit organizations is effective and therefore should
encouraged.