Health in the Americas. 2002 Edition. Volume II. Chapter 2. Essential Public Health Functions

In: Health in the Americas. 2002 Edition. Volume II. Chapter 2. Essential Public Health Functions.  

In this 2002 edition, the analysis of Health in the Americas is oriented toward documenting inequalities in health. In order to best show the analysis at both the Regional and country levels, this edition, as were previous ones, is presented in two volumes. Volume I’s eight chapters bring together the contributions of several of PAHO’s technical units to present a Regional perspective on the current health situation.

Chapter II analyzes major macro-political, social, economic, and financial determinants of health, emphasizing those processes that can potentially affect health status and the organization, effectiveness, and accessibility of health systems. The chapter also examines the effects of globalization, international trade, and economic policy and growth on poverty, as well as issues of gender and ethnicity as health determinants.