The Impact of Economic Growth on Environmental Quality and Public Health

Economic growth is one of the main development goals in human societies. In the path of growth and rising incomes, necessary resources to implement the strategic plans of the society provided. One of the key programs and important issues of public funds is improving public health and environment protection. But there is no clear evidence, that economic growth improves the public health and environmental quality. Given that economic growth can be combined with the destruction of the environment on the one hand and on the other hand, in unhealthy environment, public health is at risk. According to the importance of these issues, Investigation this topic is very important. This study aimed to examine this relationship in selected countries with using GMM method during the period 1990-2013. The results of the model indicate that economic growth is associated with public health and environmental degradation. Other fore the environment quality negatively effect on health. Also cross-contamination effect of economic growth and environmental degradation on public health is negative and significant and that means the positive benefits of economic growth on public health, be dilute. Therefore, in view of the negative pollution impact on the health, the environmental quality is important, so environmental Protection to achieve sustainable development should be considered. The results of this study suggest that economic growth is associated with improvements in public health, but will also lead to environmental degradation. As well as reducing the quality of the environment affect a significant and negative impact on public health in the countries affected. Thus, environmental concerns of economic growth in terms of the negative impact on health and waste health costs double and attention to maintain the quality of the environment in order to achieve sustainable development is emphasized.