Background
Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The main objective of this study was to examine malaria spending efficiency and its associated factors between 2013 and 2019.
Methods
This study employed the two-stage double bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) proposed by Simar and Wilson. In the first stage, technical efficiency scores are estimated using the output-oriented variable returns to the scale (VRS) DEA framework. In the second stage, the double bootstrap DEA model was used to identify the environmental variables that affect malaria spending efficiency.
Results
The overall malaria spending efficiency score was estimated to be 82.9% (95% CI: 81.4–84.4%) over the study period. This estimate suggests that malaria treatment and prevention outcomes can potentially be improved by at least 17% by using existing resources. We found a significant association between efficiency and education, temperature levels, nurses and midwives’ density, and the proportion of children of age five who slept in insecticide-treated bed nets.
Conclusion
To achieve the targets spelt out in the Global Technical Strategy for malaria by 2030, policymakers must not only be concerned with improving educational outcomes but also consider ways to mitigate the effects of climate change and improve access to healthcare services.