ABSTRACT
We will first take a historical perspective and examine the health impact of the so-called epidemiological transition. The invention of antibiot-ics such as penicillin, antiviral medications, and DDT (yes, the highly toxic insecticide that is now prohibited in many countries) had major health effects worldwide, including in developing countries, on fighting diseases such as pneumonia, cholera, dysentery, yellow fever, influenza, and malaria. We will see how development economists measure human health in developing countries to evaluate the efficiency of health care interventions. We will then examine policy interventions meant to alleviate and eradicate diseases in developing countries. We also address the question of how to improve access to inexpensive drugs in developing countries. We then examine the dual interactions between health and economic development. Last but not least, we will look at institutions that provide health care in developing countries. How good is the quality of health care? What are the main problems faced by health care institutions in developing countries?
