Impact of health expenditure on universal health coverage (UHC) (composite index): Global evidence

In recent years, global commitments to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) have emphasized the critical importance of public health funding. This study aims to explore the relationship between public health expenditure (PHE) and UHC.

The study is based on Grossman's health production model, which posits that health is a commodity requiring investment. Data for this analysis was sourced from the World Bank's World Development Indicators and the World Health Organization's Global Health Expenditure Database, covering 169 countries over a 22-year period from 2000 to 2022. Both fixed and random effect panel regressions were conducted using STATA for the analysis.

The findings indicate that per capita domestic health expenditure significantly impacts health outcomes (0.068, 95% CI: 0.0336,0.1038), especially in combating infectious diseases (0.2543, 95% CI: 0.1552,0.3533). Additionally, higher education completion rates are linked to better health outcomes (0.0020, 95% CI: 0.0008,0.0032). The results also suggest that an aging population may require increased resources for managing non-communicable diseases (0.0184%, 95% CI: 0.0121,0.0246) and Service Capacity an access (0.0140, 95% CI: 0.0022,0.0259). Furthermore, higher life expectancy at birth strongly correlates with improved health outcomes across various sectors, marking it as a robust indicator of overall health (0.0339, 95% CI: 0.0226,0.0453). The findings indicate that per capita domestic health expenditure significantly impacts health outcomes, especially in combating infectious diseases. Additionally, higher education completion rates are linked to better health outcomes. The results also suggest that an aging population may require increased resources for managing non-communicable diseases and service capacity an access. Furthermore, higher life expectancy at birth strongly correlates with improved health outcomes across various sectors, marking it as a robust indicator of overall health.

Our analysis using fixed effect models revealed significant factors affecting health outcomes in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH); infectious diseases (ID); non-communicable diseases (NCD); and service capacity and access (SC). Strategic health investments and policies in areas like infectious diseases, where funding directly improves health outcomes, could greatly enhance these results. Our data strongly supports increasing and strategically allocating health expenditure to maximize impact.