The effect of private and government investment on the growth of the health sector in Iran

This study estimated the effect of private and government investment on the growth of the health sector in Iran with the ARDL approach, 1981-2019. The selected indicators were estimated in two selected indicators: health expenditure and health index (life expectancy). The estimation results of the model show that the increase in economic growth, causes an increase health expenditures and the increase of private sector investment in the health sector, causes an increase health expenditures and the increase of private sector and government investment in the health sector, improve the Health index. In the long term, the rate of AIDS and the inflation rate have a negative effect on health expenditure and health index; and the literacy rate, the urbanization rate, the real exchange rate, and the real interest rate have a positive effect on health expenditure and health index. The results of this study, consist with other researches, showed that by focusing on investment, the growth of the health sector in Iran improves. The findings of this study can be used to implement a more efficient policy in the way and type of investment in the health sector.