M. Paalman et al., A CRITICAL-REVIEW OF PRIORITY SETTING IN THE HEALTH SECTOR - THE METHODOLOGY OF THE 1993-WORLD-DEVELOPMENT-REPORT, Health policy and planning, 13(1), 1998, pp. 13-31
Citations number
42
Categorie Soggetti
Heath Policy & Services","Health Care Sciences & Services
The 1993 World Development Report, investing in Health, suggests polic
ies to assist governments of developing countries in improving the hea
lth of their populations. A new methodology to improve government spen
ding is introduced. Epidemiological and economic analyses form the bas
is for a global priority setting exercise, leading to a recommended es
sential public health and clinical services package for low-and middle
-income countries, Ministries of Health in many countries have express
ed an interest in designing a national package of essential health ser
vices, using the methodology. Given the apparent importance attached t
o the study and its far reaching potential consequences, this article
provides an overview of the method, the main issues and problems in es
timating the burden of disease as well as the cost-effectiveness of in
terventions. Strengths and weaknesses in the databases, value judgemen
ts and assumptions are identified, leading to a critical analysis of t
he validity of the priority setting exercise on the global level.