The health impacts of globalisation: a conceptual framework

Huynen, Maud MTE; Martens, Pim; Hilderink, Henk BM

Opinions differ with regard to the economic benefits of economic globalisation (Figure 3 ; arrow 2). On the one side, 'optimists' argue that global markets facilitate economic growth and economic security, which would benefit health. They base themselves on the results of several studies that argue that inequities between and within countries have decreased due to globalisation (e.g. see Frankel [21] , Ben David [22] , Dollar and Kraay [23] ). Additionally, it is argued that although other nations or households might become richer, absolute poverty is reduced and that this is beneficial for the health of the poor [24] . On the other side, 'pessimists' are worried about the health effects of the exclusion of nations and persons from the global market. They argue that the risk of exclusion from the growth dynamics of economic globalisation is significant in the developing world [25] . In fact, notwithstanding some spectacular growth rates in the 1980's, especially in east Asia, incomes per capita declined in almost 70 countries during the same period [26] . Many worry about what will happen to the countries that cannot participate in the global market as successful as others.