Human Capital and Economic Growth: Evidence from Selected Asian Countries

Impact of human capital on economic growth of selected Asian countries was examined, in the context of a visual search task. The main aim of this study is to find the empirical relationships among human capital and economic growth by using panel data technique for the period 1990-2012. In this study Government Expenditure on Health and gross school enrolment at secondary level used as a proxy variables for measuring human capital. The results of econometric estimation and panel least squares estimates indicated, a strong positive association of government expenditure on health and gross fixed capital formation with GDP. Another result of this study is that the gross school enrollment has positive but insignificant impact on gross domestic product. The study recommends that Government should escalate the enrollment of students in primary and secondary level, incentives to the people working abroad and should also facilitate the private sector to develop the labor force. Moreover, government should increase their expenditure on different areas of health sector such as for the development of infrastructure of health sector and provision of better health care facilities to the patients. Keywords: Human capital, Economic growth, Capital, Asian countries.

Human Capital and Economic Growth: Evidence from Selected Asian Countries

Impact of human capital on economic growth of selected Asian countries was examined, in the context of a visual search task. The main aim of this study is to find the empirical relationships among human capital and economic growth by using panel data technique for the period 1990-2012. In this study Government Expenditure on Health and gross school enrolment at secondary level used as a proxy variables for measuring human capital. The results of econometric estimation and panel least squares estimates indicated, a strong positive association of government expenditure on health and gross fixed capital formation with GDP. Another result of this study is that the gross school enrollment has positive but insignificant impact on gross domestic product. The study recommends that Government should escalate the enrollment of students in primary and secondary level, incentives to the people working abroad and should also facilitate the private sector to develop the labor force. Moreover, government should increase their expenditure on different areas of health sector such as for the development of infrastructure of health sector and provision of better health care facilities to the patients. Keywords: Human capital, Economic growth, Capital, Asian countries

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially