Beyond mortality

Reconceptualizing health outcomes in evaluating the impacts of foreign aid

Bibliographic Data

ID21338396
AuthorsOluwatosin O Olowookere (University of Amsterdam Amsterdam the Netherlands, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume79
Issue2
Pages123-141
Publication date2026-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Social Security Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-871X • E-ISSN: 1468-246X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/issr.70033
OpenAlexW7165108248
LanguageEN
References cited27

This article evaluates the impact of foreign aid on multidimensional health outcomes in developing countries. Using 26 indicators from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2 and SDG 3), the study constructs six composite health dimensions and analyse panel data on 131 countries (2000–2021) with fixed‐effects cross‐lagged panel models. The results show significant positive effects of official development assistance (ODA) on reproductive fatalities, burden of disease, and environmental mortality, but a negative effect on health system capacity. The study concludes that ODA alleviates specific health burdens but lacks transformative power to achieve long‐term resilience and sustainable development. The study recommends prioritizing health infrastructure and system building as a fundamental component of global development efforts

Developing country · Global health · Healthcare system · Panel data · Psychological resilience · Resilience (materials science) · Sustainable development · Transformative learning · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · International Development and Aid

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