Demand for Health Services in Ethiopia: Exploratory Analysis from Welfare Monitoring Surveys

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This paper estimates a reduced form model of demand for health services in Ethiopia. It applies a large welfare monitoring survey using alternative indicators of health status, such as self-reported illness episodes, number of days lost due to illness, and stunting. The findings indicate that health status varies considerably with the socio-economic state of an individual. Consistent with the large empirical evidence, the findings suggest that the level of schooling attained by the individual progressively affects the efficiency of investment in health. The result is robust to different estimation strategies to control for the endogenity of schooling. In addition, access to health services, affordability, and attitudes towards health facility, among others, determine infirmity experienced by individuals.