Global Health

Making Investment Choices in Health

 

There are limited choices among investments that can enhance society's health. In many cases, resources are always less than needed to meet all health care goals. To make such choices, countries use cost-effectiveness analysis as a tool; cost-effective analysis is a method for comparing the cost of investment with the amount of health that can be bought with said investment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Issues: The medical field provides care only on the bases of need and not on the basis of behaviors that have led to these needs. There are choices to make between providing a small benefit to a large number of people or a large one to a small group. Countries should also determine how much priority should be given in analysis to the destitute of society, given their large numbers. 

The Questions: Should we favor "best outcomes" (focusing on better-off people who are more likely to have successful outcomes) over "fair chances" (giving poor people top priority)? To what extent does "worse-off" mean? To what extent should resources be used to address health needs of people whose health problems relate to their own lifestyles?