The appropriate role of the state in health is complex both in economic theory and in practice. Theory identifies three reasons for state action: public goods or services with large externalities (involving efficiency); poverty (involving equity); and failings peculiar to insurance markets for...

Describes the elements of health reform in Sierra Leone as the West African nation attempts to overhaul its health system and focus it on the neediest populations. To highlight the role of key stakeholders, the study reviews the actions proposed and taken for reforming a package of health...

The World Bank has become the world's largest lender in the health, nutrition, and population (HNP) sectors, requiring the institution to seek ever greater evidence that its work is effective on the ground. This paper reviews the literature on the causes of observed changes in health and...

This volume contains thirteen papers prepared for the World Bank Conference on Innovations in Health Care Financing, held in Washington, D.C., on March 10-11, 1997. Together these papers provide conceptual and practical policy prescriptions for financing health care systems in developing countries.

This cross-national study provides empirical evidence of some of the trends in health status, health services, and health care financing that have occurred in countries undergoing economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Evidence shows that the transition has led to a significant...

This paper surveys health reform in the former Soviet countries of Central Asia. Reform efforts are evaluated in the context of achieving the goals of improving people's health status, maintaining acces and equity, improving efficiency, increasing clinical effectiveness, and assuring quality and...

Global growth and trade started to strengthen at the end of 2016. Russia’s economy showed signs of overcoming the recession caused by the shocks of low oil prices and economic sanctions. Tradable sectors benefitted from the relative price adjustment and stabilizing commodity prices in the...

Myanmar's macroeconomic environment remains stable, though economic growth is estimated to have slowed to 5.9 percent in 2016-17 compared to 7 percent in 2015-16, weighed down by slower investment demand. Growth is projected to recover to 6.4 percent in 2017-18, though risks are tilted to the...

The Iran Economic Monitor provides an update on key economic developments and policies over the past six months. It examines these economic developments and policies in a longer-term and global context, and assesses their implications for the outlook for the country. Its coverage has ranged from...