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...

Health care demand price elasticies are often estimated from samples conditioned to include only sike people. This paper shows that not only may such estimates be statistically biased, but even when properly estimated they can only be interpreted as short-run price responses.

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 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...

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...

This paper evaluates World Bank activities to prevent and mitigate the effects of AIDS in all regions of the developing world during fiscal years 1986 to 1996. It first proritizes HIV-prevention and treatment interventions using the principles of public economies. Based on this framework, it...

The health of Russian women has suffered during the economic crisis of recent years. Morbidity and mortality from chronic and infectious diseases has increased. Women's reproductive health has been compromised by an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and by lack of access...

Human exposure to lead represents a serious environmental health problem in many urban areas. Based on a review of health and technical issues, th is report points out that the phase-out of lead from gasoline is a desirable policy measure which can yield significant social benefits. Country...

Outlines Tunisia' innovative strategy of reducing the budgetary costs of food subsidies in a manner that is politically acceptable and that protects the nutritional status of the poor. The government uses "self-targeted programs," whereby subsidies are shifted to items consumed primarily by...