Fiscal Consolidation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Unequal Effects on Children’s Health
published in March 2021
New research reveals that policies of fiscal consolidation (public spending cuts and/or tax rises) in sub-Saharan African countries are, on average, associated with higher infant mortality: the estimated contribution of ‘austerity’ measures is around 7 per 1,000 additional infant deaths compared with births that occur outside periods of fiscal consolidation.