Impact of Development Assistance for Health on Maternal and Child Health: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2016

Abstract

Development assistance for health (DAH) has grown to US$36.4 billion annually, but its impact on population health – particularly nonfatal outcomes – remains unclear. I develop a cross-national longitudinal data analysis combining DAH disbursement records with maternal and child health outcomes from the Global Burden of Disease 2016. Controlling for development status and domestic health expenditure, I estimate the effect of DAH on health outcomes. The elasticity of aid on maternal and child mortality (-0.026 and -0.026) is similar, but both are greater than the elasticity for nonfatal maternal and child outcomes (-0.007 and -0.004). Based on these findings, if the United States enacted its proposed 24% DAH budget cut, I estimate that 8938 fewer child and 497 maternal deaths would be averted annually.