The health impacts of globalisation: a conceptual framework

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

Health services are increasingly influenced by globalisation-induced changes in health care policy (Figure 3 ; arrow 5), economic development and trade ( Figure 3 : arrow 6), and knowledge ( Figure 3 ; arrow 7), but also by migration (3: arrow 7). Although the WHO aims to assist governments to strengthen health services, government involvement in health care policies has been decreasing and, subsequently, medical institutions are more and more confronted with the neoliberal economic model. Health is increasingly perceived as a private good leaving the law of the market to determine whose health is profitable for investment and whose health is not [10] . According to Collins [42] populations of transitional economies are no longer protected by a centralized health sector that provides universal access to everyone and some groups are even denied the most basic medical services. The U.S. and several Latin American countries have witnessed a decline in the accessibility of health care following the privatisation of health services [43] .