Skip to main content
  • 39 Accesses

Abstract

Economics is centrally concerned about the use of scarce resources, and resources of many kinds are, almost by definition, particularly scarce in developing countries. Average levels of living are low and there is a limited pool of educated and trained manpower. Morever, a lower proportion of such a nation’s resources can be mobilized through taxation for communal purposes not only because a high proportion of the population is poor but also because of the administrative difficulties of collecting taxes with a low proportion of the population in regular salaried employment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. For a useful discussion of the problems and summary of major studies, see Anne Mills and Margaret Thomas: Economic Evaluation in Health Programmes in Developing Countries, EPC, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  2. See OECD, Measuring Health Care 1960–1983, 1985, p 12.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Davidson N, Townsend P: Inequalities in Health, London, Penguin, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Abel-Smith B: Cost Containment in Health Care, London, Bedford Square Press, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Abel-Smith B, Grandjeat, P: Pharmaceutical Consumption, Commission of the European Communities, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  6. WHO: Global Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000, Geneva, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  7. OECD, Twenty-Five Years of Development Cooperation, Paris, 1985, pp 302–303.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Mach EP, Abel-Smith B: Planning the Finances of the Health Sector, WHO, Geneva, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Abel-Smith B: Global perspective on health service financing. Soc Sci Med 1985; 21: (9) 957–963.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1990 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Abel-Smith, B. (1990). The Economics of Health Care. In: Lambo, T.A., Day, S.B. (eds) Issues in Contemporary International Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3713-1_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3713-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-3715-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3713-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics