Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/2799
Title: Measuring global health inequity
Authors: Reidpath, DD
Allotey, P
Issue Date: 2007
Publisher: BioMed Central
Citation: International Journal for Equity in Health. 6 (16)
Abstract: Background: Notions of equity are fundamental to, and drive much of the current thinking about global health. Health inequity, however, is usually measured using health inequality as a proxy – implicitly conflating equity and equality. Unfortunately measures of global health inequality do not take account of the health inequity associated with the additional, and unfair, encumbrances that poor health status confers on economically deprived populations. Method: Using global health data from the World Health Organization's 14 mortality sub-regions, a measure of global health inequality (based on a decomposition of the Pietra Ratio) is contrasted with a new measure of global health inequity. The inequity measure weights the inequality data by regional economic capacity (GNP per capita). Results: The least healthy global sub-region is shown to be around four times worse off under a health inequity analysis than would be revealed under a straight health inequality analysis. In contrast the healthiest sub-region is shown to be about four times better off. The inequity of poor health experienced by poorer regions around the world is significantly worse than a simple analysis of health inequality reveals. Conclusion: By measuring the inequity and not simply the inequality, the magnitude of the disparity can be factored into future economic and health policy decision making.
URI: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/2799
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-6-16
ISSN: 1475-9276
Appears in Collections:Community Health and Public Health
Dept of Health Sciences Research Papers

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