title: Comparative efficiency of national health systems: cross national econometric analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve the evidence base for health policy by devising a method to measure and monitor the performance of health systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Estimation of the relation between levels of population health and the inputs used to produce health.
  
  
  METHODS
  191 countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health system efficiency (performance).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estimated efficiency varied from nearly fully efficient to nearly fully inefficient. Countries with a history of civil conflict or high prevalence of HIV and AIDS were less efficient. Performance increased with health expenditure per capita.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing the resources for health systems is critical to improving health in poor countries, but important gains can be made in most countries by using existing resources more efficiently.
authors.affiliation: Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. evansd@who.int
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lauer
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D004522:Educational Status; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D017059:Models, Econometric