Does external openness influence the infant mortality rates? An econometric investigation for the Chinese provinces.

During the last decades, China has achieved some remarkable results in improving the health status of its population. Since the end of the seventies, it has engaged in a process of large reforms in integrating with the global economy. This openness in policy has already paid important dividends in growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate if external openness had any influence on the evolution of infant mortality rates (IMR) in Chinese provinces since the beginning of the eighteen's. The first section is devoted to a brief comment on the evolution of the IMR. In section 2 and 3 we present the theoretical framework and the methodology adopted. Our hypotheses are tested with a panel data model. The results are discussed in section 4. They show that external openness had indirect effects on IMR in a way, which confirms the necessity to rebuild and expand medical insurance schemes. They also suggest it might be advisable to adopt measures in order to correct the health effects of the widening income disparities among provinces.