Abstract:
Despite the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) remarkable economic growth, improvements in population health outcomes slowed during the reform period. Along with increasing commercialization of the health sector, urban−rural disparities in health have increased; there are large health inequalities between the rich and the poor; and income has become a major constraint to health. Noting the current debate in the PRC on models of the health care system, the paper argues that whatever model is followed, there has to be a greater public sector role in funding basic health care, providing protective health cover to the poor and vulnerable groups, and regulating various actors in the health market. If not, the PRC’s growth process risks leaving a large section of its population behind in terms of key development indicators such as health.