Education advantages in health: Exploring the factors influencing better health for the educated in East Africa

Abstract

The East African region (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda) faces several country­ specific stumbling blocks that hamper socio-economic growth within the borders, common across the region is the advancements in health and education over the years. This study contributes to the literature interlinking education and health by applying new estimation techniques and panel causality testing using data from five Eastern African countries from 1989 to 2018. Employing a concentrated approach for East Africa, deviating from Westernized datasets. Using the variables Life Expectancy at Birth as representative of the dependent variables and Primary School Enrolment for the independent variable, there is considerable evidence of education insignificantly contributing to the Health of individuals in East Africa. Primary School Enrolment is not consequential to influence a panel granger-causality for the dependent variable. These results are of specific importance to proposed policy amendments to Education and Health policies across the five states.