The Economics of Health in South Africa

The remnants of the colonial and apartheid era are evident in the South African health system’s persistently higher levels of injury, mental health problems, disease and mortality amongst the poor and marginalized—mediated through a wide range of social determinants including environmental health factors such as hygiene, access to clean water, clean air and adequate sanitation, violent crime and trauma, occupational risk, alcohol abuse and tobacco dependence. Due to such structural factors, children of poor parents have lower levels of cognitive development, are more likely to be stunted and a greater share die young. The legacy also persists via severe inequalities in the resourcing of health providers across districts and provinces and also between the public and private sector. Additionally, there is evidence of inefficient resource allocation and inefficient use of resources in both sectors, which further diminishes the health sector’s ability to meet the needs of its population.

The Economics of Health and Migration

Migration and health are intimately connected. It is known that migrants tend to be healthier than non-migrants. However, the mechanisms for this association are elusive. On the one hand, the costs of migration are lower for healthier people, thereby making it easier for the healthy to migrate. Empirical evidence from a variety of contexts shows that the pre-migration health of migrants is better than it is for non-migrants, indicating that there is positive health-based selection in migration. On the other hand, locations can be viewed as a bundle of traits including but not limited to environmental conditions, healthcare quality, and violence. Each of these can impact health. Evidence shows that moving from locations with high mortality to low mortality can reduce mortality risks. Consistent with this, migration can increase mortality risk if it leads to greater exposure to risk factors for disease. The health benefits enjoyed by migrants can also be found in their children. However, these advantages erode with successive generations.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON AWARENESS AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN RURALAND URBAN MEERUT

Universal Health Coverage aims to provide essential health services to all while providing protection from catastrophic expenditure on health. To mitigate the economics of health expenditure, health insurance is one of the important tool. Hence, this study was conducted to nd out the awareness and practice of health insurance coverage in rural and urban Meerut.90 households were studied in both rural and urban area. Awareness was higher in urban area but coverage was higher in rural area. Awareness and coverage were found to be signicantly associated with poverty status in rural area of Meerut.

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE DURING A PANDEMIC

В данной статье представлен обзор данных об экономике здравоохранения в сложной сложившейся ситуации, и рассматривается влияние пандемии на экономику здравоохранения, в частности, проведён анализ негативного последствия пандемии и изменений, которые привели не только к спаду экономики, но и возникновению новых проблем касаемо финансирования и контроля экономики здравоохранения. В статье приведены законодательные акты и нормативные документов Российской Федерации. This article provides an overview of data on the economy of healthcare in the current difficult situation. It examines the impact of the pandemic on the health economy, analyzing, in particular, the negative impact of the pandemic and changes that have led not only to the economic downturn, but also to the emergence of new problems regarding the financing and control of the health economy. Furthermore, the article presents the legislative acts and regulatory documents of the Russian Federation.

The Cycle of Policy Making, Management, and Economics of Health System

In any society, health systems should meet health needs of the population in various aspects. The health system should also move towards the system’s predetermined goals in order to establish an effective connection between different cycles of the system from policy-making to implementation by considering the fundamentals of economics.

A Conversation with Angus Deaton

The Annual Review of Resource Economics presents Professor Sir Angus Deaton in conversation with economist Dr. Gordon Rausser. Dr. Deaton is Senior Scholar and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Department of Economics at Princeton University and Presidential Professor of Economics at University of Southern California. An applied economist, Deaton has made seminal contributions to the econometrics and estimation of demand systems, analysis of consumer behavior, understanding of commodity prices, the economics of health, nutrition and poverty, and most recently, deaths of despair and the future of capitalism, focusing on the United States. His work to improve welfare estimation in developing countries contributed to upgrading data collection efforts at the World Bank and other international agencies.

Social values and public procurement in health: can ‘smart’ procurement enhance justice in health?

Governments spend 29% of total expenditure on procurement while the second largest area is health. However, the important question is what the impact of these expenditures on health is. Can one buy health justice through procurement? In order to answer this issue, the study firstly analyses theory of global health governance to substantiate whether procurement is a health governance tool whose efficiency and effectiveness determines health outcomes. Secondly, health as a social aspect is scrutinised because its governance and procurement have to be driven by a normative value. Within the study, health justice is justified to be such a value as it is a significant public health factor in practice. Following this normative claim, the study uses analysis of legislation, case law and examples from procurement practice to show whether procurement law can enhance health justice. In terms of methodology, the study establishes a normative framework of governance in health, health justice and procurement. On that basis, it distinguishes procurement categories (procurement of health, and procurement for health) and concludes what it is in procurement that health justice is transformed into. In order to answer the core research question, the study analyses harmonised transnational EU legislation, policy, case law of the CJEU, and examples from practice through stages of supply framework - at input, output and outcome. The study leads to a conclusion that procurement serves as a tool of governance in health. In order to reach effectiveness and efficiency of procurement in health, it is submitted that procurement needs to reflect on the argument of ethics and economics of health. Health inequalities are an operationalized factor to reach this. The EU procurement law enables to consider health justice. However, it is restricted by the requirement of proportionality. Therefore, health justice is perceived as distortion, rather than a goal of competition to be enhanced. Key messages In order to reach effectiveness and efficiency of procurement in health, it is submitted that procurement needs to reflect on argument of ethics and economics of health. The EU procurement law enables to consider health justice. However, it is rather perceived as distortion, than a goal of competition to be enhanced.