ABSTRACT

Accessible and edited by authors based at a top institution, this book provides readers with an excellent summary in an easy-to-read style of this burgeoning field of research.

In this volume Bennett, Gilson and Mills have gathered together essays written by academics and experts in the fields of health policy and economic development, each underscoring the need for political commitment to meet the needs of the poor and the development of strategies to build this commitment, covering:

  • evidence regarding the links between health, economic development and household poverty
  • evidence on the extent to which health care systems address the needs of the poor and the near poor
  • innovative measures to make health care interventions widely available to the poor.

Current and topical, this book is of great relevance to policy makers and practitioners in the field of international health and development and researchers engaged with global health and poverty as well as being ideal reading for students of international health and development.

chapter 1|18 pages

Health, economic development, and household poverty

The role of the health sector

part I|40 pages

Health, development and poverty

part II|56 pages

The effectiveness of health systems in addressing the needs of the poor

chapter 4|14 pages

Access and equity

Evidence on the extent to which health services address the needs of the poor

chapter 6|25 pages

Coping with the costs of illness

Vulnerability and resilience among poor households in urban Sri Lanka

part III|120 pages

Restructuring health systems to reach the poor

chapter 8|21 pages

Targeting services towards the poor

A review of targeting mechanisms and their effectiveness

chapter 10|15 pages

Building voice and agency of poor people in health

Public action within health systems

chapter 11|14 pages

Improving equity in health through health financing reform

A case study of the introduction of universal coverage in Thailand

chapter 13|10 pages

Conclusions

From evidence to action