Public health expenditures, equitable access to care and economic growth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an econometric estimation of the optimal threshold
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Abstract
This article investigates the complex linkages between public health expenditure, equitable access to care, and
economic growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the 2000–2022 period. Its core objective is to
estimate the optimal threshold of public health spending per capita that simultaneously maximizes access to
healthcare and economic performance, using a simultaneous equation model derived from the Armey curve
framework. The study uses interpolated national data and applies the Three-Stage Least Squares (3SLS) method
to address autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity. Findings highlight a non-linear relationship between public
health spending and both healthcare access and per capita GDP, with an optimal threshold estimated between
USD 3.12 and USD 3.14. These results underline the strategic fiscal trade-offs facing Congolese public
authorities and support targeted pathways towards sustainable universal health coverage.
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