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Distributionally sensitive measurement and valuation of population health

We introduce a measure of population health that is sensitive to inequality in both age-specific health and lifespan and can be calculated from a health-extended period life table. By allowing for inequality aversion, the measure generalises health-adjusted life expectancy without requiring more dat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health economics 2024-01, Vol.93, p.102847-102847, Article 102847
Main Authors: Da Costa, Shaun, O'Donnell, Owen, Van Gestel, Raf
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We introduce a measure of population health that is sensitive to inequality in both age-specific health and lifespan and can be calculated from a health-extended period life table. By allowing for inequality aversion, the measure generalises health-adjusted life expectancy without requiring more data. A transformation of change in the (life-years) measure gives a distributionally sensitive monetary valuation of change in population health and disease burden. Application to Sub-Saharan Africa between 1990 and 2019 reveals that the change in population health is sensitive to allowing for lifespan inequality but is less sensitive to age-specific health inequality. Allowing for distributional sensitivity changes relative burdens of diseases, reduces convergence between the burdens of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and so could influence disease prioritisation. It increases the value of health improvements relative to GDP.
ISSN:0167-6296
1879-1646
DOI:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102847