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12 - Where now with equity?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2009

Di McIntyre
Affiliation:
School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa
Gavin Mooney
Affiliation:
Director of Social and Political Health Economics, Curtin University, Bentley Campus Room 436 Bldg 400 Perth WA 6845, Australia
Di McIntyre
Affiliation:
University of Cape Town
Gavin Mooney
Affiliation:
Curtin University of Technology, Perth
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Summary

Introduction

Both equity in health and equity in health care matter. Yet it is clear that recently in many countries policy has been rather neglectful of both of them. It is also the case that health economics has not contributed to equity policy as it might have. This book has drawn attention to these issues, globally and in some nation states, Brazil and Thailand in particular.

The authors in this book have sought to explain why equity has been failing and also why health economics has not made more of a contribution to equity policy. Yet more importantly, each in his or her own way has indicated how things might proceed better in future.

In this concluding chapter it is not the intent to summarize the contents of this book but rather to highlight what we as editors see as the key issues for improving health equity in the future. In particular, we present some concrete ideas on what health economists could be doing or doing better to promote equity in health and health systems. We have identified seven key messages.

Neo-liberalism is bad for our health and our health systems

Given that the extent and nature of economic development can have a dramatic impact on health status, health economists need to get more involved than they have in the past in macroeconomic policy debates. We not only have a right, but an obligation to engage in such debates.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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  • Where now with equity?
    • By Di McIntyre, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa, Gavin Mooney, Director of Social and Political Health Economics, Curtin University, Bentley Campus Room 436 Bldg 400 Perth WA 6845, Australia
  • Edited by Di McIntyre, University of Cape Town, Gavin Mooney, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
  • Book: The Economics of Health Equity
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544460.013
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  • Where now with equity?
    • By Di McIntyre, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa, Gavin Mooney, Director of Social and Political Health Economics, Curtin University, Bentley Campus Room 436 Bldg 400 Perth WA 6845, Australia
  • Edited by Di McIntyre, University of Cape Town, Gavin Mooney, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
  • Book: The Economics of Health Equity
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544460.013
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Where now with equity?
    • By Di McIntyre, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa, Gavin Mooney, Director of Social and Political Health Economics, Curtin University, Bentley Campus Room 436 Bldg 400 Perth WA 6845, Australia
  • Edited by Di McIntyre, University of Cape Town, Gavin Mooney, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
  • Book: The Economics of Health Equity
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544460.013
Available formats
×