Globalization; Opportunity or Threat for Health? (A case Study of Iran)

Health sector has been considerably affected by globalization, despite its public and non-commercial nature. Globalization can directly effect on health through the removal of customs barriers, the creation of common markets, growth and income distribution and; In addition, globalization can affect the field of health through several factors such as its impact on culture and customs. So, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of globalization on health in Iran.
This study is paid to study dynamic long-term and short-term relationship between health indicators, globalization Indexes, per capita income and per capita physician, by using time series data from 1979-2011. For this purpose is used the bounds co integration test and Auto-Regressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model. Also,the statistical analyzes were performed using software Eviews and Microfit.
Based on the results of the ARDL model, total globalization, economic globalization, social globalization, income per capita and per capita physician; improve health indicators in the short-term and long-term, while the influence of political globalization on health indicators is meaningless in the short-term and long-term. One percent increase in the index of total globalization, increases the life expectancy in the short-term and long-term, respectively, 0.03 and 0.14 percent and decreasesthe mortality rateofchildren under 5 years in the short-term and long-term, respectively 0.07 and 0.29 percent.
The results indicate that economic globalization is remarkable compared to other aspects of globalization, health indicators improved; therefore, move towards an open economy can be effective in promoting public health.