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On the Determinants of Mortality Reductions in the Developing World

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  • Rodrigo R. Soares

Abstract

This article presents and critically discusses evidence on the determinants of mortality reductions in developing countries. It argues that increases in life expectancy between 1960 and 2000 were largely independent of improvements in income. The author characterizes the age and cause-of-death profile of changes in mortality and assesses what can be learned about the determinants of these changes from the international evidence and from country-specific studies. Public health infrastructure, immunization, targeted programs, and the spread of less palpable forms of knowledge all seem to have been important factors. Finally, the article suggests that the evolution of health inequality across and within countries is intrinsically related to the process of diffusion of new technologies and to the nature of these new technologies, public or private. Copyright 2007 The Population Council, Inc..

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by The Population Council, Inc. in its journal Population and Development Review.

Volume (Year): 33 (2007)
Issue (Month): 2 ()
Pages: 247-287

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Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:33:y:2007:i:2:p:247-287

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Chris Papageorgiou & Fidel Pérez Sebastián & Shankha Chakraborty, 2010. "Diseases, infection dynamics and development," Working Papers. Serie AD 2010-28, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
  2. Bergh, Andreas & Nilsson, Therese, 2010. "Good for Living? On the Relationship between Globalization and Life Expectancy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1191-1203, September.
  3. Bergh, Andreas & Nilsson, Therese, 2009. "Good for Living? On the Relation between Globalization and Life Expectancy," Ratio Working Papers 136, The Ratio Institute.
  4. Ricci, Francesco & Zachariadis, Marios, 2009. "Longevity and Education Externalities: A Macroeconomic Perspective," TSE Working Papers 09-009, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
  5. Alan Martina, 2009. "On the Constrained Contribution of Advances in Medical Knowledge to the Economic Growth of Developing Countries," ANU Working Papers in Economics and Econometrics 2009-504, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics.
  6. Rocha, Romero & Soares, Rodrigo R., 2009. "Evaluating the Impact of Community-Based Health Interventions: Evidence from Brazil's Family Health Program," IZA Discussion Papers 4119, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  7. Cuberes, David, 2009. "Early and Late Demographic Transitions: the Role of Urbanization," MPRA Paper 17720, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  8. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Rawlings, Samantha, 2010. "Intergenerational Persistence in Health in Developing Countries: The Penalty of Gender Inequality?," IZA Discussion Papers 5371, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  9. Francesco Ricci & Marios Zachariadis, 2008. "Longevity and Education: A Macroeconomic Perspective," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 1-2008, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
  10. Hansen, Casper Worm, 2011. "The diffusion of health technologies: Cultural and biological divergence," Discussion Papers of Business and Economics 6/2011, Department of Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark.
  11. Shankha Chakraborty & Chris Papageorgiou & Fidel Perez Sebastian, 2010. "Battling Infection, Fighting Stagnation," University of Oregon Economics Department Working Papers 2010-11, University of Oregon Economics Department.
  12. Julio Cáceres-Delpiano, 2011. "Is there a cost associated with an increase in family size beyond child investment? Evidence from developing countries," Banco de España Working Papers 1117, Banco de España.
  13. Yusuf, Shahid & Nabeshima, Kaoru & Wei Ha, 2007. "What makes cities healthy ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4107, The World Bank.
  14. Rodrigo R. Soares, 2009. "Life expectancy and welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(S1), pages S37-S54, April.
  15. David Canning & Diana Bowser, 2011. "Investing in Health to Improve the Wellbeing of the Disadvantaged: Reversing the Augment of the Marmot Reports," PGDA Working Papers 7811, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.

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