Commercialisation and extreme inequality in health: the policy challenges in South Africa

Di McIntyre, Lucy Gilson, Haroon Wadee, Michael Thiede and Okore Okarafor
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Di McIntyre: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Postal: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Haroon Wadee: Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, Postal: Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
Michael Thiede: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Postal: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Okore Okarafor: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Postal: Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Journal of International Development, 2006, vol. 18, issue 3, 435-446

Abstract: This paper presents a South African case study as a contribution to international debates about the policy challenges posed by health sector commercialisation. It shows that the South African health system was highly commercialised before 1994, and fragmented between the private sector, serving the high-income white population and the public sector, serving the low-income, black population. By 2005 little had changed despite efforts to regulate the private sector and strengthen the public sector. Brave leadership and a stronger vision of the relative roles of public and private sectors is required to develop an integrated health system built on income-related cross-subsidies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Date: 2006
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:18:y:2006:i:3:p:435-446

DOI: 10.1002/jid.1293

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