Health, economic development and household poverty : from understanding to action /

This edited volume contains essays by academics and professionals that summarize research on the links between health, economic development, and household poverty. The first part deals with the evidence concerning these links; the second part examines evidence on the degree to which various health systems meet the needs of the poor and the near poor; the last part examines innovative ways to make health interventions widely accessible to the poor. All essays emphasize the need for political commitment to address the needs of the poor and for devising strategies to help fulfill such commitment. Overall, the volume is well written and logically organized, but the two chapters prior to the conclusion are loaded with information and may appear tedious. The essays provide excellent documentation of the links between health, economic development, and poverty alleviation. Thanks to the lack of economic jargon and lesser reliance on quantitative methods, this work is accessible to a wide readership ranging from undergraduate students to researchers interested in international health and poverty reduction. It is required reading for policy makers and practitioners looking for innovative measures in health financing and service delivery that can better reach the poor. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections. M. Q. Dao Eastern Illinois University