Efficiency and equity are priorities in the social policies of both industrial and developing countries. This study examines how different value judgments lead to different concepts of efficiency and equity and demonstrates that conceptual clarity can improve social services delivery.

From Few to Many is the first comprehensive look at Colombia's 1993 health system reforms. It describes the implementation of universal health insurance, including a subsidized system for the poor, and examines the impact of this and other reforms during a time when Colombia experienced crushing...

This report represents the collaborative effort of three partners: the World Bank, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This book explores trends and differentials in women's health; examples of good practices in delivery and financing of...

The report explores the convergence of the health sector reform processes and the improvement of sexual and reproductive health in Latin America and the Caribbean. It includes the results of three sub-regional meetings, sponsored by the IDB and organized by the Population Council (LAC Regional...

This book uses case studies and cross-regional analyses to examine changes in basic health services, challenges for social health insurance, improvements in the equity and efficacy of health services, and changes in public and private sector roles in health care delivery in Latin America and...

'Beyond Survival: Protecting Households from Health Shock's in Latin America reviews the Latin American experience with health reform in the last 20 years and the fundamentals of health system financing, using new evidence to show the magnitude and mechanisms that determine the impoverishing...

Traditionally, the concept of quality of life has been viewed through objective indicators. Beyond Facts looks at quality of life through a new lens, namely, the perceptions of millions of Latin Americans. Using an enhanced version of the recently created Gallup World Poll that incorporates...

Guaranteeing the right to health care under equal conditions for all is a goal that every society desires to achieve, particularly in a region as unequal as Latin America and the Caribbean. Universal coverage is an important objective for most countries; however, the context for attaining...