Working Paper
Global inequality in length of life, 1950–2015
This paper provides a broad picture of national, regional and global trends of inequality in length of life over the period 1950–2015. We use data on life tables from World Population Prospects to develop a comprehensive database of a battery of...
Working Paper
Undernutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa
The predominant perception is that the world's food problems are now concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Declining food production and recurrent famine in many African countries are the focal points of much recent work on food problems. This paper...
Working Paper
Unemployment, Labour Policies and Health in Transition
A sharp rise in unemployment and a sharp rise in mortality have been two recurrent aspects of the process of transition. In response to the unemployment challenge transitional economies have equipped themselves with labour market policies (LMPs)...
Working Paper
Rural-Urban Dimensions of Inequality Change
For developing and transitional countries we explore trends in rural-urban, intrarural and intraurban inequality of income, poverty risk, health and education. In particular, we ask whether behind generally rising inequality post-1980 lie offsetting...
Working Paper
Hunger and Entitlements
Hunger is not a recent phenomenon. Nor is famine. Life has beenshort and hard in much of the world, most of the time. Bothchronic undernourishment and recurrent famines have been amongthe causal antecedents of the brutishness and brevity of human...
Working Paper
Income-based Measures of Average Well-being
International comparisons of average national incomes omit important information about leisure, home production, health, etc. They are also bedevilled by index number problems. This paper suggests ways of combining working hours and life-expectancy...
Working Paper
A Review of External Assistance and Aid Effectiveness for Maternal and Child Health
This paper primarily focuses on how global funding has supported interventions that have proven to be successful in reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality around the world. The growth rate of development assistance targeted towards these...
Book
Health Inequality and Development
Across the world, while income inequality among countries is declining, there is clear evidence that health related inequities are on the increase. Health is a key component of an individual’s well being, having both intrinsic and instrumental value...
Working Paper
Longevity in Russia's Regions
This paper examines the impact of changes in poverty and public health spending on inter-temporal variations in longevity using a unique regional-level dataset that covers 77 regions of Russia over the period 1994-2000. The dynamic panel data model...
Working Paper
Public Sector Efficiency and Small Island Developing States
This paper examines the efficiency of public sector expenditures at achieving social sector outcomes in small island developing states (SIDS). Public sector efficiency is estimated using a stochastic production function (SPF) approach and panel data...
Working Paper
Convergence Clubs in Cross-Country Life Expectancy Dynamics
I model life expectancy in terms of physical and human capital and technology, the fundamental economic variables described by economic growth theories. For concreteness, the Solow model and a convergence club growth model by Howitt and Mayer (2001)...
Working Paper
An open database on inequality and polarization in length of life (1950–2021)
Monitoring health is key for identifying priorities in public health planning and improving healthcare services. Life expectancy has conventionally been regarded as a valuable indicator to compare the health status of different populations. However...