Trade openness and child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical evidence from a new panel causality test

Authors : Çağın Karul, Mert Akyüz

Pages : 229-240

Doi:10.18070/erciyesiibd.1762352

View : 94 | Download : 128

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :There has been growing concern about the relationship between trade and populationhealth in recent years. This study investigates the causal relationship between tradeopenness and child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. For this purpose, the study utilizesthe panel causality test proposed by Nazlioglu and Karul (2024), which removes commonfactors causing cross-sectional dependence from the dataset using the PANIC approach.While prior research has reported associations between trade openness and healthoutcomes at the global or regional level, little attention has been given to the causalitywithin Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the context of cross-sectional dependence. Theempirical results show statistically significant panel-level causality running from tradeopenness to both infant and under-five child mortality. However, country-specific estimatesindicate substantial heterogeneity across the region. In Sub-Saharan Africa, historicalimprovements in political stability and institutional quality have played a significant rolein shaping the trade–health nexus. The findings reveal a causal relationship betweentrade openness and child mortality across Sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting theimportance of trade dynamics in shaping health outcomes.
Keywords : Sağlık Çıktıları, Ticaret, Yatay-kesit Bağımlılığı, Sahra Altı Afrika

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