The Impact of Public Services on Health Care and Illness: A Treatment Effects Model with Sample Selectivity

Health care and status are jointly modelled using household data from Kenya. Both maternal primary education and distance to health facilities affect take-up of child health care, but the former is more powerful. Corrections for the selectivity of illness when modelling health demand are insignificant. Parental education, proximity to health facilities and piped water all increase reporting of illness symptoms. The first two results may reflect differences in reporting rather than in health. However, the effect of piped water remains disturbing. The impact of health care on the duration of illness is estimated controlling for endogeneity and found to be favourable but insignificant.