La salud es uno de los factores más importantes del crecimiento económico

Abstract

Econometric research based on available information from various countries, particularly from Latin America and the Caribbean. supports the hypothesis that health is an important factor of economic growth. In Brazi1 the positive variation in income that may be attributed to health improvement would amount to 0,67% per year 1980- 1995; in Mexico this would be of the order of 2% per year in 1970- 1995. The reverse hypothesis. that health depends on economic growth was also supported, but the interaction was weaker. Education also appeared to be less consistently related with economic growth. The researchers stress the need for a conceptual framework that may include in a meaningfu1 way mechanisms that might explain the interaction between health and the economy. A contribution towards this objective is here presented. It is acknowledged that there is a lack of sufficient and adequate information, as well as a need for stronger methodological linkages with epidemiology.