Equity in health is a pressing global concern. Disparities in health status and access to health care within and across countries are both a cause and a consequence of social inequality.
The shift from high to low levels of mortality and fertility called the demographic transition occurred over a century ago in the developed world.
Equitap, a developing country-led research network, has systematically documented the performance of 15 national health systems in Asia since 2000, with a significant impact on both researchers and policymakers.
Until recently, the Chinese tobacco industry has been run as a state-owned monopoly. It is reported, however, that two mainland tobacco firms have begun making Marlboro cigarettes under license from Philip Morris International.
A key barrier to appropriate health care is the frequent need for households to pay out-of-pocket (OOP) for medical treatment.