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Related Experiment Videos

Short-changing reproductive health.

Tom Merrick1

  • 1Learning Program on Population, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform, World Bank Institute, Washington, DC, USA. tmerrick@worldbank.org

Reproductive Health Matters
|February 1, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Calls for increased reproductive health funding are often dismissed by economists. This paper argues that reproductive health rights should be prioritized, challenging purely economic decision-making in healthcare.

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Area of Science:

  • Health Economics
  • Public Health Policy
  • Reproductive Health Rights

Background:

  • Economists often view reproductive health funding requests as "special pleading."
  • The prioritization of reproductive health rights over other health rights has not been extensively discussed.
  • Economic principles, such as cost-effectiveness and burden of disease, are increasingly used to guide health spending decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the economic-centric approach to health funding decisions.
  • To advocate for the prioritization of reproductive health rights.
  • To highlight the limitations of economic methodologies in valuing reproductive health.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of economic principles applied to health sector reform.
  • Examination of the challenges in applying burden of disease metrics to reproductive health.
  • Review of arguments for and against prioritizing reproductive health care.

Main Results:

  • Economic evaluations may undervalue reproductive health due to its non-disease nature (e.g., pregnancy).
  • Decisions based solely on economic principles may not adequately address health equity or human rights.
  • There is a need to balance economic considerations with ethical and rights-based arguments for health funding.

Conclusions:

  • Reproductive health advocates must present evidence on health system performance and rights.
  • Economic criteria alone are insufficient for determining health care funding priorities.
  • A human rights framework is essential for ensuring adequate reproductive health services.

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