POST 01146E : IMF AND HEALTH SPENDING

POST 01146E : IMF AND HEALTH SPENDING 23 August 2007 ____________________ It is not so often that we discuss macroeconomics. Those of you interested by these questions may find the following report quite interesting. It is rather long (78 pages) and I admit that I didn’t read it all. The 7-page executive summary gives however a good overview and is well-worth reading. Its first paragraphs are copied below. I wonder if the issues discussed have any potential impact on immunization programmes. Colleagues economists will likely have read it already and I hope that some of them will be prompted to share their analysis and comments. --------------------- Does the IMF Constrain Health Spending in Poor Countries? Evidence and an Agenda for Action ; Report of the Working Group on IMF Programs and Health Spending, June 20, 2007. "It is hardly a secret that the International Monetary Fund has won few friends among the many organizations and individuals who work in global health. Those who have worked hard in the past decade to mobilize unprecedented levels of funding and attention for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other health programs in low-income countries have contended that the IMF's approach to macroeconomic management has constrained effective use of the donor funds now on offer and has thereby weakened efforts to improve health conditions in countries that are most heavily burdened by disease. The IMF, for its part, has consistently responded to criticism by noting its circumscribed role, which does not include venturing into sector-level decision making, and reminded critics that health priorities must fit within a broader set of social choices that have to take account of an overall budget constraint." ______________________________________________________________________________ All members of the TechNet21 e-Forum are invited to send comments on any posting or to use the forum to raise a new discussion or request technical information in relation to immunization services. The comments made in this forum are the sole responsibility of the writers and do not in any way mean that they are endorsed by any of the organizations and agencies to which the authors may belong. ______________________________________________________________________________ Visit the TECHNET21 Website at http://www.technet21.org You will find instructions to subscribe, a direct access to archives, links to reference documents and other features. ______________________________________________________________________________ To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to : [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Leave the subject area BLANK In the message body, write unsubscribe TECHNET21E ______________________________________________________________________________ The World Health Organization and UNICEF support TechNet21. The TechNet21 e-Forum is a communication/information tool for generation of ideas on how to improve immunization services. It is moderated by Claude Letarte and is hosted in cooperation with the Centre de coopération internationale en santé et développement, Québec, Canada (www.ccisd.org _______________________________________________________________________