Health and Development

Abstract:     
Viewing good health as a means to further economic development is a useful strategy for elevating the status of health-related investment. However, this view also has limitations, particularly in acknowledging the intrinsic value of health and understanding development more broadly. This Article presents an alternative view of health and economic development that sees health as both intrinsically and instrumentally valuable, but takes health as an end in itself. This viewpoint sees the opportunity for health and health care as critical components of development and recognizes the interrelatedness among health and other valuable social ends (i.e., education) and at the same time emphasizes health's importance for individual agency - i.e., people's ability to live a life they value. It is important that any discussion of health and economic development take note of the significance of participation for effective and sustainable reforms. Active agency is critically important for both health and economic development as indeed they are important for each other.

Keywords: health, development

JEL Classifications: I10

Accepted Paper Series