THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ON HEALTH EXPENDITURE

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the link between economic growth, environmental quality and health of the population and their implications on health expenditure growth.Health is influenced by multiple factors knows as the determinants of health, whose action can not always be kept under control. One of the determinants of health is the quality of the environment, which, together with the quality of the people (genetic heritage, lifestyle), standards of living, health system characteristics, has a bearing both on health and on health expenditure.Most of the determinants of population health have a mutual connection with the degree of economic development of a country and its level of education. In this respect, the high level of the health-related human capital has a positive effect on labor productivity and economic growth rate.Economic growth induces both an increase in standards of living, with positive effects on health, and a deterioration of the environmental conditions, which triggers changes in the degree of incidence of the disease, consequently favoring an increased financial burden on the health system.

Keywords

• economic growth
• health determinants
• environmental pollution
• impact of diseases
• health expenditure