Effects of Air Pollution and Corruption Control on Life Expectancy in Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Air pollution is recognised as one of the main factors affecting the health status of the population. Since environmental degradation mitigation works through public institutions, the governance quality plays a vital role in the pollution health effect. Noting that governance role may be relevant to ensure effective health care delivery, this study addresses this issue by considering corruption control, which is considered important, but especially in the setting of middle-income countries, the literature is largely vague. In consequence, it seems that there is a need to assess the air pollution-health relationship in order to develop suitable strategies toward a healthier climate. This study empirically evaluates the life expectancy and corruption effect of PM2.5 in 72 middle-income countries from the period of 2010 until 2017 by employing the dynamic panel estimation using Generalized Method of Moment (GMM). The result suggests that the elevated level of PM2.5 has a significant effect on reducing life span. Furthermore, the findings suggest that corruption regulation appears to mitigate the PM2.5 harmful effects towards life expectancy. The study recommends the need to develop stricter environmental policies to protect the health of the population, as good health is important for a better living