How will we address the disparity in the amount of health care dollars spent in developing countries versus the amount in spent in developed countries? There really is no way to justify the fact that 84% of the world's population inhabits LMICs, yet we only spend 12% of worldwide health care dollars on the people in LMICs.
Unfortunately, large modifications in the global distribution does not appear to be on the horizon. Indeed we, global public health professionals should work towards that goal. In the meantime we are left with major public health problems from both communicable and non-communicable diseases in these countries and we have to find ways to address these now with the limited resources that are available.
Cost-effectiveness is a tool that can be used to make policy decisions on how to best allocate health care dollars to maximize effective therapies and avert the most DALYs possible. Until there is a more equitable distribution of global health care dollars, cost-effectiveness can help address global health disparities now. It's not perfect and contextual factors need to be considered along with cost-effectiveness data. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, it seems to me that in countries with limited resources, cost-effectiveness should be used by policy makers. What do you think ?
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3 comments:
The sad part about this whole disparity is that many people in countries like the U.S. think that sooo much money is being pumped into these LIMC's and the idiots are just squandering all of it. While corruption is rampant in many countries that depend of aid, an attitude like that limits the generosity and empathy of the public.
Andrea, thanks for your post, I completely agree. The growing gap in healthcare spending between the "north" and "south" is very upsetting. It seems unacceptable to put a dollar amount on the health of individuals and value some lives more than others because of geography. The global health system has a lot to learn from the countries who have mastered the universal health care.
Cost-effectiveness is definitely key. Case in point, the US health care system. We spend more than any other system in the world, yet our health care system isn't even in the top 30. Clearly, we are not exactly the most cost-effective system, especially when we have so many people falling through the cracks. Thus, I agree, we need to have cost effectiveness. Especially when there's limited resources.
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