Improving the health of the global poor.
We analyzed the technical basis for a major global program to reduce disease among the poor. Effective interventions exist against the few diseases which most account for excess mortality among the poor. Achieving high coverage of effective interventions requires a well-functioning health system, as well as overcoming a set of financial and nonfinancial constraints. The annual incremental cost would be between $40 billion and $52 billion by 2015 in 83 low-income and sub-Saharan African countries. Such a program is feasible and would avoid millions of child, maternal, and adult deaths annually in poor countries.
Jha
Prabhat
P
World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva 01220, Switzerland. jhap@who.int
Mills
Anne
A
Hanson
Kara
K
Kumaranayake
Lilani
L
Conteh
Lesong
L
Kurowski
Christoph
C
Nguyen
Son Nam
SN
Cruz
Valeria Oliveira
VO
Ranson
Kent
K
Vaz
Lara M E
LM
Yu
Shengchao
S
Morton
Oliver
O
Sachs
Jeffrey D
JD
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006076:Government; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics; D011640:Public Policy